I Promise You
by NALEYAAF23
Summary: After Nathan saved Haley from an uncomfortable situation, their friendship began to blossom into romance. However, Haley still has secrets she is keeping from Nathan. Secrets that won't stay buried much longer. Nathan promised to protect her, no matter what. But some promises are meant to be broken.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** A couple of readers have asked me to continue writing Naley stories. So here is the beginning of a brand new one. Enjoy the first chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"Here's your B.L.T. sandwich," Haley said, giving the customer a smile as she delivered the man's food. "Enjoy and please let me know if you need anything else." She then went to attend to the next table and continued to make her rounds before she ended up behind the counter with her coworker Millie Huxtable. She gave her a smile. "It looks like it has finally settled down."

Millie nodded in agreement. She let out a heavy sigh. "Just a couple of more hours and we can go home." Hearing the bell above the entrance to the diner made the two waitresses turn to see the next customer. Millie and Haley exchanged nervous glances. Neither of them wanted to take this next customer. They watched as he went to sit in his regular table in the corner across from the counter, where he could clearly keep an eye on the two waitresses.

Haley spoke up first. "I'll do it." Millie gave her a worried look. "I can handle him. I promise." She grabbed two menus as she took a deep breath. Her day was going great. Why did the boss have to come in and ruin it? But he was still a customer and she was going to be a good hostess and wait on him.

Haley approached the two customers and put the menus down on the wooden table. She pulled out her notepad and pen. She put on a fake smile as she turned to one of them. "Mr. Jones, what a pleasant surprise. What can I get for you today? Anything to go?" she asked, wanting him to go as soon as possible.

Daunte just chuckled. "Haley, don't sound so formal. After all, we're old friends." Haley didn't answer. She was relieved when he gave her both his order and his associate's order. She quickly wrote down their orders before she left the table, relieved to get away from him. He always gave her the creeps and made her uncomfortable, but she had no choice. She had to stay and keep him happy.

Haley handed the notepad to the cook before she returned to her friend. "How do you do that? Why can I be brave like you?" Millie asked. Haley smiled at her. "If that was me, I would have spilled his drink on him because I was so nervous."

"I've been around him longer than you," Haley replied as they heard the door opening again. "I know how he operates." She turned to see who the next customer was and her eyes lit up immediately. Her day just got brighter again. Although, she wasn't sure if Nathan and Daunte being in the same room together was a good idea.

Nathan Scott. He and Haley had been best friends ever since he first walked into the diner a couple of years ago. Like Haley, he came to Los Angeles looking for a fresh start. His reasoning was a little different from hers. He wanted to get away from his parents who had put high expectations on him. They wanted him to attend college at one of the Ivy League universities, but Nathan wanted to go his own path.

Haley gave him a wide smile as the man with the raven hair approached the counter. He made a face as he noticed Daunte Jones. He knew all about the trouble he caused Haley and Millie. "Do you want me to go over there and talk to him?" Nathan asked as Haley gave him the menu.

Haley gave him a grateful look. "No, it's fine. I'm sure he will leave as soon as he's done with his food. Speaking of food, what I can get for you?" she asked him. "A cheeseburger and a side of fries? And a cup of coffee?"

Nathan smiled. "You know me so well."

"Coming right up," she said before she disappeared into the kitchen. When she reappeared, she noticed Nathan was looking down at his phone. "What are you looking at?" she asked him as she made his cup of coffee. Nathan showed her the picture. It was a couple. The man had dirty blonde hair and the young woman had brunette hair and hazel eyes. "Is that your brother and his girlfriend?" she guessed. She had remembered him talking about his older brother Lucas often. The two brothers had been close before Nathan took off.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, her name is Brooke Davis. Actually, they were high school sweethearts before they broke it off. Then he dated Peyton Sawyer for a while before he went back to Brooke. They have been together for a year now. I think Lucas is getting ready to propose to her soon."

"That's so sweet," Haley said as Nathan returned to the faraway look he had before. She spoke again, snapping him out of his reverie. "You must miss him. Have you ever thought of going back to visit them?"

Nathan gave her a look. "If I see them without seeing my parents, my parents will be pissed."

Haley wanted to respond, but she felt a nudge from Millie. She glanced over at Daunte, who was giving her a disapproving look. She turned red. "Excuse me, but I have to go check on my other customers." She grabbed the coffee pot and she began making her rounds again.

She took her time in reaching Daunte's table. She didn't even have a chance to say anything before he spoke. "You know I don't appreciate you talking to the customers on the job," he said in a warning tone. "Otherwise, it looks like you're slacking off."

Haley gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I'll go check on your food." She turned around and let out a heavy sigh. Nathan gave her an apologetic look. She shrugged it off as she went into the kitchen.

Haley continued working under the watchful eye of Daunte. When Nathan's food was ready, she gave it to him without any pleasant conversation. Nathan also got the hint and thanked her for the food. That was it and Haley went back to work.

It was a relief when Daunte and his associate were finally finished with their meals. He and Nathan exchanged glares before Daunte and his friend left the diner. Haley wasn't surprised to find that he left a generous tip for her. Haley gathered the money and cleaned off the table. She glanced Nathan's way. This time, he was watching her with a concerned look on on his face.

Haley didn't even let him speak as he came up to her. She wasn't in the mood for a lecture. "I know what you are going to say. I shouldn't be working for him if he makes me feel uncomfortable. But it's complicated." Nathan looked at her, ready for an explanation. "No, I'm not going to get you involved in this."

"Don't tell me you are sleeping with him," Nathan said in disgust. Haley could do better than Daunte Jones.

Haley gave him a look. "Not that it's any of your business, but my relationship with Daunte is strictly business, not personal. I owed him a debt and I'm paying him back by working for him. End of story. Now if you would excuse me, I have to get back to work." She didn't let Nathan respond as she walked away from him.

Nathan finished his food before he paid his meal and left the diner without saying goodbye to Haley. Haley let out another sigh. She hated being mean to Nathan. She was grateful he was looking after her, but she didn't want him involved. Daunte knew secrets about her that she didn't tell anyone else and he was holding that over her. Three years. And counting.

Haley had to admit she didn't want to be tied down to this job any longer. Even though she loved her customers and her coworkers, she wanted to move on from here. From Los Angeles. To get another fresh start away from Daunte and his demands of her.

Where would she go? Talking with Nathan about how he missed his brother made Haley realize how much she was missing her own home. It's been five years since she left home and she hadn't been back since. Maybe it was time to head back home. However, her ties to Daunte would make it difficult. If only she could find a way out.

As the time came closer to closing, the door opened up one last time. To their relief, it was just Mouth coming to pick up Millie. Although, Millie was happy to serve him a piece of pie before she clocked out for the night.

"Do you need a ride home?" Mouth offered. "I wouldn't want you to walk home by yourself."

Haley gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, but I have my car. You guys go ahead. I'll lock up."

"Are you sure?" Millie asked. Haley nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Haley finished her duties before she clocked out. She turned off all the lights and she locked the door. As she turned around, she jumped as she saw Daunte leaning against her car. "I assume you need a favor from me?" she guessed. "Is that why you came in the diner? If it's to replace one of your girls at your club, you can forget it."

Daunte grabbed her arm. He was so close to her that she could smell alcohol on his breath. "I think you're forgetting that I'm in charge here. If I want you to work in my club, then you will work in my club."

"Let go of me," Haley protested as she tried to get out of his grip. He just chuckled before he released her. She nearly lost her footing, but she managed to keep herself upright. She looked at Daunte who smiled in amusement. The look of pleasure on his face sicken her. What was she doing? Why she felt like she had to please this man? Yes, he gave her food and shelter, but it wasn't worth losing her self-respect. "That's it. I've had it. I'm quitting."

Daunte tried not to laugh. Haley barely listened to him as she prepared to get into her car. "Yeah right. Where would you go? You're nothing without me, Haley. After all, I know your dirty little secrets."

Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise. She shut her car door and marched over to him. She looked him in the eyes. "What makes you think I don't know yours? Do you really think I'm that stupid? That I don't know what's really going on in your club? You and your friends make me sick."

Daunte grabbed her again. "Do you really want to go there?"

A familiar voice stopped the conversation. "How much does Haley owe you?" The two turned to see Nathan, who appeared out of the shadows. He walked up to them. "I'm willing to pay you if you could let Haley out of her debt."

Daunte looked at Haley. "You've been telling your friends about us?" he demanded.

Haley shook her head. "No, I told Nathan to stay out of it," she defended. She turned to Nathan. "It's not that type of debt."

"I think you need to listen to Haley and let us handle this," Daunte told Nathan.

"I'm not going anywhere unless you promise to leave Haley alone," Nathan replied. "It's clear she doesn't want to work for you anymore. What will it take for you to leave her and her friend Millie alone?"

Daunte chuckled. "You can tell that little friend of hers that she's fired. As for Haley, she's staying with me." Nathan stood protectively in front of Haley. Daunte was still not intimidated. "I don't suppose you've told your boyfriend about your dirty little secrets, have you?" Haley didn't answer. "You know what? If you want to leave with him, then that's fine. Just don't come crying to me when your past catches up to you."

Haley breathed a sigh of relief as Daunte walked away from them. Nathan waited a few more moments before he turned back to Haley. "Are you okay?" he asked her with a worried look in his eyes. He seemed oblivious to what Daunte had just said about her past coming back to haunt her. "He didn't hurt you?"

Haley wanted to be mad at him. He really didn't know what he was getting into by confronting Daunte. At the same time, she was grateful. Her ability of trying to solve her problems by herself wasn't working. She was grateful for the rescue. She also felt a sense of freedom. She didn't have to worry about Daunte anymore. She could go anywhere she wanted. "Nathan, you didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did," Nathan replied. Haley was surprised at his answer. "I wasn't going to let anyone hurt you. Now let me take you home."

Haley was willing to take his offer this time. However, she had one request from him. "Could you stay with me tonight?" she asked. She wanted some comfort. She needed some comfort. "After all of this, I don't want to be alone." Nathan nodded before they climbed into her car and drove away from the diner.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Haley opened her eyes and looked over at Nathan, who was still sleeping soundly next to her. For a moment, she couldn't remember why he was there. Then it all came back to her. He came to her rescue and stood up to Daunte. Who allowed her to quit her job. Who allowed her to be free from their agreement. No more doing favors for him. No more waitressing at the diner. And it was all because of the man sleeping next to her.

Like Nathan promised, he took her home. They stayed up talking and laughing. It was such a joy for Haley to be able to talk to Nathan without Daunte looking over her shoulder. Or have a half-hour time limit before Nathan had to leave for work again.

Once Haley was ready for bed, she gave Nathan some blankets to make his bed on the couch. That all changed when Haley had her first nightmare of the night. She woke up screaming and Nathan was right there to comfort her. After that, she wanted him to stay with her until she was able to fall asleep. Nathan had no objections and just put his arms around her to comfort her.

As Haley snapped back into reality, she realized she needed to make a phone call. She didn't want Millie to find out when she arrived at the diner for her morning shift. As she grabbed her phone, Nathan was stirring. "What's going on?" he mumbled.

"I just wanted to call Millie and tell her that she doesn't have to worry about Daunte anymore," Haley told him as she put her phone to her ear and listened to the ringing on the other end. She pushed back the covers and walked across the room to the door. She shut the door so she didn't disturb Nathan and he could get back to sleep. She wandered into the kitchen as she kept waiting for Millie to answer her phone.

"Hey, what's up? Is everything okay?" Millie asked as soon as she answered the phone.

It was just like Millie to be worried. "That depends if you're okay with not working for Daunte anymore." She didn't let Millie ask any questions. "I should have taken Mouth's offer. Daunte didn't come to the diner to check up on us. He wanted me to do him another favor. I didn't know that until he stopped by after my shift was over. When I tried to refuse, Nathan stepped in to help. In the end, Daunte has fired both of us."

"Really?" Millie asked, trying not to sound too excited. "You know I've been wanting to quit for a while, but I didn't want to leave you alone with him."

"I know. And I appreciate that," Haley replied. "But you deserve to be happy." There was a short pause. "To be honest, I almost feel like it's too good to be true." She realized she would start worrying her friend all over again. "You know what? Forget it. I should let you go. We'll talk later." They said their goodbyes before she hung up the phone.

Haley made herself a cup of coffee as she heard footsteps. She turned around to see Nathan. They exchanged smiles as he arrived in the kitchen. Haley wanted to make him some coffee. But he stopped her. "You're done serving people. It's my turn to serve you." He gently pushed her away from the coffee maker. "What can I make my lovely hostess this morning? Eggs? Bacon?"

"Eggs would be fine," Haley replied. Nathan nodded in agreement before he began searching for a pan. Haley helped direct him to the location where she kept the pots and pans. "I can't thank you enough for keeping me company last night."

Nathan smiled as he went to the fridge and grabbed the egg carton. "No problem. It certainly beats going to an empty apartment. By the way, you have a really nice apartment. It's much better than mine. So much cleaner too." Haley laughed. "Don't tell me you like to clean."

"When I get upset, I go around and reorganize my kitchen drawers," Haley told him. Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah, that's just the beginning of my cleaning obsession. Thanks to you, I don't have to worry about that today."

"You don't have to worry about anything today," Nathan said. "I'll take care of everything."

"Nathan, you're sweet, but you don't have to do that," Haley replied. "Having your arms wrap around me was just what I needed last night."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nathan asked. At first, he didn't push her. Last night, he could see she wasn't ready to tell her story and he respected her privacy. However, he wanted to know what Daunte held over her and see if he could help her any further. Haley was quiet. She didn't know where to begin. "Hales, I know you're scared, but I'm your friend. You can trust me."

"Yes, but I know more about you than you know about me," Haley said. Nathan looked at her, interested to hear more about his friend. Haley let out a deep breath. "Fine. You want to hear my sad tale. Here we go. Once upon a time, I had a happy childhood. I lived with my parents and two older sisters Taylor and Quinn in Wilmington, North Carolina." Nathan knew she didn't live too far away from his hometown of Tree Hill. That's what made them connect when they first met each other. "That came all crashing down when my mom died in a car accident." Nathan gave her a sympathetic look. "We were devastated, but we were able to hold it together. Then my dad met my evil stepmother."

Nathan tried not to smile. Haley was prepared for that reaction. "Yeah, you might think it's a joke. But I'm serious. She was awful." Haley didn't know how many details she wanted to tell Nathan, but she was prepared to tell him some of her story. "We didn't know this at first, but she had a drinking problem and she soon started to take her problems out on me and my sisters."

"Like hitting you?" Nathan frowned. Haley's story just took an unexpected turn. "How could your dad not notice that?"

"Because she never did it in front of him," Haley replied as Nathan continued to make her breakfast. "And we were too scared to tell anyone. We hid the bruises as much as we could until one of my teachers noticed and called social services. That's when my dad found out and he immediately kicked her out of the house." Nathan couldn't blame him. He would have done the same thing if he found out his new wife was abusing his kids. "I thought my dad would file for divorce and I wouldn't have to see her again."

Haley wished the drama with her stepmother ended there, but there was more. "It turns out that he didn't file for divorce. After he kicked her out of the house, he was willing to help her try to get through rehab. I thought he was crazy. I didn't believe rehab would help her. Or even change her. I can't tell you how many times I argued with my dad about the situation. Our relationship was never the same. She did finally complete rehab and she wanted to make amends with our family. I didn't want anything to do with her. She didn't just abuse me physically, but emotionally."

Nathan was at a loss for words. "I'm so sorry, Hales."

"After that, I was done. I didn't want to be there anymore. So I ran away from home and I haven't been back since," Haley replied. She wasn't usually this open about her past, but she felt safe in telling him this part of her story. "I was on my own for two years. Then I ran into Daunte and that's how far I'm telling you about my past. You don't need to hear the rest."

"Well, I'm here whenever you are ready to tell that story," Nathan told her. The story about her life with her stepmother was enough for him. "So you never found out if your dad and stepmom stayed together? You're not even in contact with your sisters?"

Before Haley could answer, they heard a knock at the door. Haley felt embarrassed for answering in her pajamas. She quickly grabbed her robe and covered herself before she answered the door. It wasn't a surprise to her that Daunte was standing in the hall. "Good morning Haley. I'm sorry to be here so early, but I came to deliver you a message personally." He chuckled as Nathan appeared behind Haley and he stood protectively next to her. "Why am I not surprised to find him here with you?"

Haley knew what he was thinking. Before Nathan could respond, she spoke up. "What message?" she asked, not wanting to discuss her personal life with Daunte. It was none of his business to know whether they slept together or not.

Daunte got the hint. "Well, you know our agreement. As long as you worked for me, I would provide an apartment for you. Since you're no longer working for me, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to vacate the premises. I'll give you two weeks to pack up and find a new place. Have a great day."

Haley just glared at him as she shut the door. Nathan just looked at her in amazement. He began to hate this guy more and more. "Can he do that? Can he just kick you out like that? How the hell did you end up working for him?"

Haley didn't answer as she sat down on the sofa. This was really happening. Daunte was honoring his word in letting her out of their agreement. "That was our agreement. If I worked for him at his diner, he would pay for my apartment."

Nathan looked at her incredulously. "You're really okay with this? Firing you from the diner is one thing. Kicking you out of your apartment is another thing. I think you go back there and confront him. Demand that he gives you more time."

Haley shook her head. "No, I am not going to do that." Nathan couldn't believe she was being so calm about this. "You don't understand. I've been tied to that jerk for three years. If I have to give up my job and apartment to get away from him, then so be it. I am done with him." She has been wanting to say those words for a long time and it felt so good to say it. "I'm done with Los Angeles."

Nathan froze for a moment. "What?"

Haley got up from the sofa as she began to get excited. "You heard me. I'm done with Los Angeles. I'm done living the city life. I can do whatever I want now. I can travel again. I can go back and finish high school. Go to college. Do so many things I have wanted to do, but I couldn't because I was stuck working." Nathan had never seen Haley so happy before. He was happy for her. "And it's all because of you." She embraced him in a tight hug and he put his arms around her. "Thank you so much."

Nathan smiled in return. "You're welcome." He was glad Haley shared some of her tragic past, but he was really curious about her agreement with Daunte. And why she felt like she couldn't just pick up and leave. Like last time. He still couldn't believe she ran away from home. She didn't seem like the type to do that. Hearing her story made him realize he still had a lot to learn about his friend. "So what are you going to do first?"

Haley pulled away from him and looked around at her apartment. "I don't know. I don't even know where I want to go. I just know I want to get out of Los Angeles. Out of California. Somewhere far away where I can start over again."

Nathan nodded understandingly. There was a short pause. The words were out even before he could think about it. "Do you need a traveling companion?" he offered. Haley looked at him. Was he serious? Was he truly thinking about coming with her? "I don't want you to travel by yourself. It's too dangerous. What if a hitchhiker would come along?"

"I couldn't ask you to give up your life and move with me," Haley said. "Especially since I don't know where I'm going."

Nathan gave her a look. "What life? I don't like my job either. I don't have a girlfriend. My family is on the other side of the country. And my best friend is planning to go on a road trip without me. I have no reason to stay here." He took his hands into hers. "Maybe it's time for both of us to end this chapter and start a new one. Together."

Haley reflected on his words and came to a realization. There was a reason why he had become so protective of her against Daunte. There was a reason why he was willing to stay with her and just be there for her last night. To hold her and comfort her. There was a reason why he was willing to come with her. To give up everything for her.

Before she could respond, Nathan's phone interrupted the conversation. He groaned in annoyance. This was killing the moment. He frowned. "It's Brooke, my brother's girlfriend." He wondered why she was calling him. He picked up the phone and put it to his ear. Haley went to give him some privacy and she went to eat her eggs. She didn't even get back into the kitchen when she heard Nathan's words. "Oh my god! I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks for telling me." He hung up the phone and turned to Haley with a worried look on his face. "Lucas was in a car accident. I got to get back to Tree Hill right away."

Haley gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

"Would you come with me?" Nathan asked. "I know you don't want to go back to North Carolina, but I don't know if I can go back home by myself. I need you." His eyes were pleading with her. As much as Haley didn't want go back to Wilmington, she couldn't abandon Nathan now. Not after everything he had done for her.

"I'll book us the first flight out of Tree Hill," she replied.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The next morning, Nathan and Haley were on a plane heading to Tree Hill. After the phone call with Brooke, Nathan called his mother for more information about Lucas's car accident. According to his mother, Lucas and Brooke were on their way home when a drunk driver hit their vehicle. Brooke had some bumps and bruises, but Lucas was the one who was fighting for his life. He had a concussion and a broken leg. Nathan tried to assure his mother that he was a fighter, but he was worried about his brother.

Haley could see Nathan was deep in thought and she squeezed his hand. He smiled at her gratefully. He had asked her several times before they left for the airport if she was absolutely positive she was okay coming with him. Haley knew there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to go with him. He needed a friend and support right now. Like her, he wasn't close to his family and she could just imagine how awkward it would seeing his family again.

Knowing Nathan was going to see his family after being away from home for so long made Haley think about the estrangement with her own family. She was relieved they weren't going to Wilmington. At the same time, she felt she should contact Quinn and see what she was up to now. By the time Haley ran away, Quinn was already eighteen and she was attending college. That was five years ago. Did Quinn make it through college and graduate? Was she dating? Was she engaged? Haley had to admit she was curious.

Her thoughts went to her dad for a moment. Did she want to see him? There was no doubt in her mind what the answer was. Of course she wanted to see her father again. She missed him. A lot. But would he want to see her? The last time she saw him was the huge argument that made her leave home. She still loved her father, but she didn't want to be around her former stepmother again. She didn't want to be in that toxic environment. Once was enough. He didn't seem to understand her reasoning for not wanting to allow this woman in their lives again.

Would they still be together? Or did her father finally cut ties with this woman? Haley wanted her dad to be happy. He deserved it after her mother's death. She just didn't believe her dad and her former stepmother belonged together. That was just her opinion though. If he was still with her, Haley would just have to grin and bear it. She was a big girl now and she wasn't going to take her stepmother's crap anymore.

Haley jumped as she heard the captain's voice over the speaker. They had arrived in Tree Hill and they were preparing to land. She turned to Nathan. "Do you know who is picking us up from the airport?" Haley asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. She didn't rent a car because Nathan told her his mother insisted that they were staying with them. Nathan didn't want to impose, but his mother promised she would find someone to pick them up from the airport.

Nathan shook his head. He wished he did know who was picking them up. That way, he knew who to look for. He was sure it wasn't going to be his parents. They probably were spending all their time at the hospital. Or his dad was on the phone with the lawyers trying to figure out how to sue the idiot who hit Lucas. Dan Scott was very protective of his family and he wanted to make sure the people who hurt his family paid for their crimes.

It seemed like it took hours instead of minutes before the plane arrived at the correct gate. Passengers began to grab their carry-on luggage from the overhead bin and they made their way up the aisle towards the exit. Nathan was grateful it wasn't a full flight. He wanted to get his suitcase and then get to the hospital as soon as possible. He wanted to see his brother. He needed to see his brother.

Once Nathan and Haley were in the airport, Nathan called his mother. To his annoyance, there was no answer. Eventually, it reached voicemail. He groaned in frustration. "How am we supposed to find out who is picking us up if nobody will tell us?"

Haley knew he was getting nervous and she couldn't blame him. She tried to calm him down. "Let's just go and get our suitcases. Maybe the person is waiting for us at the luggage carousals?" she suggested. Nathan let out a heavy sigh, but he nodded in agreement. He held out his hand she took it. They walked hand-in-hand through the airport.

As they reached the entrance of security, Haley stared straight ahead at one of the people who were waiting for passengers. She looked at the man who was smiling at her. She thought she recognized the man. At least, she thought it was the man who she was thinking of. She had to do a double take. There was no way he was there. Waiting for her at the airport. As she walked closer to the mysterious man, she realized she was right. He looked exactly the same as he did when she ran away five years ago. His dark brown hair. His gentle eyes.

"Haley, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, noticing the shocked look on her face. He turned to the man she was staring at. He was confused. "Do you know him?"

Haley nodded as tears of joy came down her face. "Yeah, it's my dad," she told him. There was no anger in her father's eyes. There was only joy and happiness. Nathan let go of her hand, signaling it was alright for her to go and greet him. At first, her feet couldn't move. Nathan gave her a gentle push and she ran straight into her father's arms. He embraced her in a tight hug. It was him. It was really him. In that moment, she let go of all her worries and she focused on the present. They hugged for a few moments as Nathan joined them. "Oh my god! I can't believe you're here. I don't understand. How did you know I was going to be here?"

Jimmy just gave her a smile. "Let's just say I'm friends with the Scott family," he told her before he turned to Nathan. He gave him a friendly smile. He extended out his hand and Nathan shook it. "You must be Nathan. I'm Jimmy James, Haley's dad. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Nathan replied. "Thank you for coming to pick us up. I know it's last minute, but I had to come and see Lucas."

Jimmy stopped him right there. "It's no problem. As soon as I heard my little girl was coming home, I jumped at the chance to see her." Haley smiled. Clearly, he had forgiven her for their harsh exchange of words. "I was hoping she was happy to see me as much as I was to see her. I'm glad I was right. We have a lot of catching up to do. First, we should get your suitcases and we'll get you settled at the house."

"Thank you, Mr. James," Nathan said. "But I really want to get to the hospital to see Lucas."

Jimmy nodded understandingly. "I know, but you've had a long day and you should settle in and relax." Nathan was about to protest when Jimmy didn't let him. "Those are your mother's orders, not mine. I wouldn't want to cross your mother." Nathan hated to admit it, but he was right. Karen's word was law and it was hard to argue with her.

Nathan walked behind father and daughter to give them some privacy. This was the second time in two days that he saw Haley that happy. Even though he was feeling down, it made his heart melt to see Haley reunite with her dad and reconcile with him so fast. He could only hope his reunion with his family was just as nice.

As they waited for the luggage to show up on the carousal, he could hear Jimmy ask Haley about her relationship with him. He didn't hear her answer as he heard his cell-phone ring. He picked it up when he saw it was his mother. They exchanged greetings before Karen spoke. "So how was the reunion between Haley and her dad?"

Nathan looked at Haley and Jimmy, who were enjoying each other's company. "That was a surprise Haley wasn't expecting, but it was just what she needed," he replied. "But we're both a little confused of how you and Dad knows Jimmy James."

Karen didn't answer for a moment. Nathan knew something was up. What was his mother hiding? "I'm friends with Deb Lee, her former stepmother."

That was a surprise. His next words came out before he could even stop himself. "Is it still former or did her dad make up with her?" Nathan asked. Before his mother could answer, he realized his mistake. "Never mind. It's none of my business." There was a short pause. "I heard you wanted me to settle in before going to the hospital. Can I persuade you otherwise? I really want to see Lucas. Actually, I want to know the updated status of his condition."

"Nothing has changed from the last time I talked to you," Karen told him. "Lucas is still unconscious, but his condition is stable. If anything else changes, I will call you. Right now, please come home. I want to catch up with you and meet that girl of yours."

"Haley and I are just friends, Mom," Nathan replied. At least, he thought they still were friends. He had confessed his love, but she never really admitted her feelings to him. She never had a chance to do it. There were signs she felt the same way about him, but they haven't made it official yet. "She came along for support."

"Well, I still want to meet her," Karen replied. "I'll see you soon."

Nathan hung up as Haley and Jimmy joined him with the two suitcases. He did not want to be the one to tell her that his mother was friends with her evil stepmother. He was going to let Jimmy tell her that one. Of course, that was probably why he didn't truly answer his daughter's question about his connection with the Scott family.

Nathan gave them a smile. "So where is your car?" he asked Jimmy. This time, Jimmy led the way as Nathan took his time with Haley. He could see Haley was lost in thought. He stopped her for a moment. "Hey, I thought you would be happy. You're reunited with your dad."

"Yeah, I'm thrilled, but I can't help the feeling that he's hiding something from me," Haley replied. "He admitted that he and Deb did divorce and they are just friends now. And Deb is friends with your mom. That's how he found out about us coming." Nathan was relieved that was out in the open, but he could see the wheels were still turning in Haley's head. "But I think he's still hiding something from me."

"Well, you have a few days to figure it out," Nathan replied, not wanting to admit Haley had some secrets of her own. She wasn't saying it for him to state his opinion. He could tell she just wanted someone to listen. "Who knows? Maybe my parents are hiding something too. Like Lucas got engaged to Brooke without me? Then we'll both be in the same boat."

Haley laughed as they heard Jimmy's voice. "Hey, are you two coming or what?" he called by the elevators. Nathan and Haley hurried to catch up with him just as the elevator's door opened and they were on their way to the parking garage.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Nathan sat in the back so Jimmy and Haley could continue to play catch up. Instead, Jimmy wanted to know more about him. Nathan tried not to laugh. "Come on, Mr. James. I'm sure my parents told you all about the high school graduate who had a chance to attend Harvard, but he chose not to because he was tired of living up to his parents' expectations."

"Please call me 'Jimmy'," Jimmy told him with a smile. "I've heard nothing but praises from your mother and brother." Nathan noticed he didn't mention his father and he wasn't surprised. His father was probably still angry at him for not choosing to attend his alma mater and taking off to parts unknown. "I heard you were quite the basketball player in high school."

Nathan let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, those days are long over," he said quietly. He didn't even want to think about his high school days with playing basketball. "Look, can we not talk about me?"

Jimmy laughed. "You two are two peas in a pod. Haley here doesn't want to talk about herself either," he said, gesturing to Haley. She turned red from embarrassment. "What shall we talk about? I suppose you want to know about Quinn and Taylor. Well, I don't want to speak for Quinn since I'm sure you'll see her while you're here." Haley nodded. "As for Taylor, she dropped out of college." Haley wasn't surprised to hear that. Taylor was never a good student. "She's doing well though. She works as a waitress in downtown Wilmington."

"Wilmington? Let me guess, she is still living at home with you?" Haley guessed. She shook her head in amusement. "Why am I not surprised? Dad, you should be an empty nester by now."

"Hey, she's paying rent so I'm not complaining," Jimmy defended. Haley had a feeling there was more to the story. Taylor never acted so responsible before. "Does this mean you're not moving home?" he asked, trying to hide his disappointment. "I was hoping this visit would help you realize that you need to be home with your family."

Haley was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to get his hopes up. "Dad, I never said I was coming home. I wanted to come back to North Carolina because Nathan needed some support from a friend." She didn't want to talk for Nathan, but she had to help her dad understand the reason why she was there. "Like me, he didn't leave his family on friendly terms."

Jimmy nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, there's plenty of time to change your mind. And you're always welcome to stay with me and Taylor if you don't feel comfortable with Nathan's parents. Nathan, that offer stands for you too."

Nathan smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Jimmy. We might take you up on that offer." He didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't looking forward to the reunion with his dad. Dan Scott certainly could hold a grudge and there was no doubt that he was still unhappy with his son for ruining his future. But Nathan didn't have that desire to attend Harvard. His heart was set on Duke University, but his parents were firm. Especially his dad.

Nathan wished time would stop just for a little while. He was nervous about seeing his family again. Although, his mother did seem thrilled when she heard he was coming home. Even if it was for Lucas.

Lucas. He hoped his brother was still holding on. He didn't want anything to happen to him. Coming home was hard enough. Knowing that he grew worse before he had a chance to see him would devastate him. As far as he knew, he was still in stable condition and Nathan hoped it would stay that way.

When they arrived at the house, they saw a woman standing on the front porch, waiting for them. Haley assumed it was Nathan's mother. She could see where Nathan got his dark hair. The woman was giving them a welcoming smile as they came out of the vehicle. She embraced her son in a tight hug before turning to the newcomer. "You must be Haley. I'm Karen, Nathan's mother. Welcome to Tree Hill."

Haley smiled in return. "It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for letting us stay here. I hope we're not any trouble."

Nathan was about to grab the suitcases when Jimmy beat him to it. Karen spoke up again. "It's no trouble at all. Any friend of Nathan's is certainly a friend of mine. Come on in. I'm sure you two must be exhausted after your long flight. Let me show you where you are staying and you can settle in. And we'll get you something to eat. You must be starving." She didn't even let Haley answer as she took her arm and led her towards the house. Nathan was right behind them and Jimmy was bringing the rear.

Karen showed Haley the guestroom while she told Nathan that he was going to sleep in his old bedroom. After both were settled in their rooms, they joined Jimmy and Karen in the kitchen for a cup of coffee and turkey sandwiches. "Where's Dad?" Nathan asked, noticing his dad never came to greet them. "Is he at the hospital?"

Karen shook her head. "No, he's at the dealership. But don't worry. Your brother is in good company. Brooke hasn't left his side since the accident. I told her I would be happy to take a shift, but she's determined to stay with him until he wakes up." There was a short pause. "And he will wake up, Nathan. I know it." She gave him a comforting smile. Nathan was amazed how his mother could always stay positive, no matter what the situation. He wished he had her belief. "I know you're anxious to get to the hospital to go and see Lucas. So go ahead and go see your brother."

Nathan kissed his mother on the cheek. He turned to Haley. "Do you want to come with me?" he asked. He would understand if she wanted to stay with her dad. Especially since he didn't know how she felt about hospitals. "I don't mind if you stay here with your dad and my mom."

"No, it's fine," Haley said, finding her voice. She had been quiet since she told her dad that she wasn't ready to move home yet. She was only there to support Nathan. Then again, they really hadn't decided where they were moving. They just wanted to leave Los Angeles. She couldn't focus on that now. Nathan needed her. "I would love to come with you."

Karen handed him her car keys and they said their goodbyes. Nathan and Haley were quiet as Nathan drove through the streets. Haley wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say. What could she say? What did people say to her dad when he found about her mother? Nothing people said could comfort the family. This was a different situation though. Lucas was in stable condition. He still had a chance to come out of his coma.

When they arrived at the hospital, Nathan approached the front desk while Haley hung back. The receptionist gave Nathan Lucas's room number. He thanked her before he held out his hand for Haley's and she took her hand into his. He squeezed it gratefully as they headed towards the elevator.

Nathan was anxious as the elevator slowly went up to the next floor. It seemed like forever before they reached the right floor. They hurried past a couple of nurses and patients as they looked for the right room. He took a deep breath as Haley squeezed his hand again. They peeked into the room.

Lucas was lying on a bed while a brunette with hazel eyes was sitting next to him, talking to him softly. She stopped for a moment as she noticed Nathan and Haley. "Nathan, you came," she said in a surprised voice. She got up from the chair and they embraced in a gentle hug. "Your parents didn't want me to call, but I thought you should know."

"I'm glad you did," Nathan said. "How is he doing?"

Brooke let out a heavy sigh. "He's been like this ever since the accident. The doctors are hopeful. It's not like he's in a vegetative state or anything. He still has brain activity. He just hasn't woken up." Her focus turned to Haley. "Who is this?"

"I'm Haley, a friend of Nathan's," Haley told her, introducing herself. "You must be Brooke." Brooke nodded. "I'm sure you need a break. Do you want to get a cup of coffee or something?" she offered, hinting to give Nathan some time alone with Lucas. Brooke looked skeptical and Haley understood it wasn't because of her. It was because she didn't want to leave Lucas.

Nathan knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Lucas doesn't wake up before you come back." They exchanged smiles before she followed Haley back into the hall. Nathan turned back to Lucas. Nathan looked at the monitors as realization hit him that his brother was still alive. Breathing. He just needed to wake up.

Nathan let out a heavy sigh before he spoke. "Hey man. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm really sorry for abandoning you. I just couldn't take the pressure anymore. You know how Dad likes to push us to our limits. Well, I felt like he pushed me too far. I didn't feel like myself anymore and I had to leave so I could do some soul searching. I didn't realize it would lead me so far from home. Or for so long. But I'm glad I did because I met this great girl. One who knew exactly how I felt. I probably mentioned her before. Her name is Haley and she is here with me. We're really great friends. Although, I have to admit that I confessed my true feelings for her right before I got this phone call. I don't know where we stand and I could sure use some brotherly advice right now. In fact, I think we all need you. You have a great girl yourself and I don't know what she will do if she loses you. Please come back to us."

Nathan waited patiently for a sign to show that Lucas was listening. To let his brother know that he was returning. To his surprise and delight, Lucas moved his fingers a little bit. That was enough for Nathan and he rushed to get a doctor or a nurse, hoping it wasn't just a reflex.

Nathan found Brooke and Haley still in the corridor since Brooke didn't feel like wandering too far from Lucas. As Nathan continued his search for a nurse, Brooke returned to Lucas's side. Haley stayed out of the way and Nathan stayed with her once he was able to find a nurse. There was a squeal from Brooke and Nathan and Haley hurried back into the room.

Nathan was relieved to see that Luas had opened his eyes. He was still a little groggy, but he smiled once he realized both his girlfriend and his brother standing over him. Haley quietly slipped out so she wouldn't be in the way of the family reunion. She was happy for Nathan. He had his brother back. She sighed relieved. It was certainly a happy ending and she was glad she was there to witness it.

"Haley?"

Her good thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. A voice she had not heard in five years. A voice she didn't want to hear. It had to be a mistake. There was no way that her former stepmother was there. She turned to see Deb standing there with a bouquet of flowers. All of her anger came back. The words came flooding out of her mouth before she could even stop them. "Deb, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Haley realized how angry she sounded and realized there was a perfectly good explanation for her being at the hospital. It was obvious she was here to visit someone. She lowered her voice and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. That just came out. Are you here to visit Lucas?" Haley asked, remembering what her father had said to her and how she was friends with Karen.

Deb wasn't offended. "It's alright. I know you still harbor angry feelings towards me and I completely understand. I do, but I do want you know I really have changed." Haley wanted to believe that, but she was still skeptical. "I'm in a good place now. I was able to complete rehab." Haley knew that already. "And I have stayed sober since. I've continued to go to A.A. meetings."

"Good for you," Haley replied. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know if there was anything else to say. It was good that Deb did accomplish those things, but that didn't prove anything. Haley still was still angry at her. There was an awkward pause. "Are you here to see Lucas?" she repeated. Deb looked at her confused. "I'm friends with his brother Nathan. We heard about the car accident and we caught the first flight to Tree Hill. I'm just here to support Nathan. I'm not here to stay."

"Yes, I'm here to visit Lucas," Deb told her, realizing she hadn't answered the question yet. "I can't imagine what the Scott family is going through. Although, I'm sure this brings back memories for you as well."

Haley knew she was referring to her mother's own car accident. In the past, she would have snapped at her, but she knew she was trying to be thoughtful. "Actually, I don't really remember when my mother died. I was only five."

Five. Five-years-old. Too young to remember her mom. Too young to lose her mom. Perhaps that was why her dad jumped into dating someone. He didn't want his daughters to grow up without a mother figure. Haley understood that, but she thought he was doing a fine job raising her and her sisters by himself. She didn't think he needed someone to complete their family.

"Oh, I see," Deb replied. "Well, it sounds like you are a good friend to come here and support Nathan in his time of need. I suppose you have seen your father already."

Haley nodded. "Yes, he picked me and Nathan up at the airport." There was a short pause. "He told me that you two are divorced, but you guys are still friends." Perhaps this was the moment where Deb would tell what Jimmy wouldn't tell her.

"Yes, we decided it was best to go our separate ways," Deb admitted. "Although, your father has still continued to support me. He even encouraged me to run for mayor."

Haley looked at her. "Mayor?"

Deb nodded. "Yes, I'm the mayor of Tree Hill now. Didn't he tell you?"

Haley looked at her flabbergasted. "You were able to not only run for office, but you got elected as mayor? Did they not know about your drinking problem? Or the charges you faced with abusing your stepchildren?"

"My past was brought up during the course of the election, but people were willing to look past it and see I really was willing to help change the town for the better," Deb defended. "People can change, Haley. I'm proof of that."

To her relief, she heard Nathan's voice. "Haley, did you hear?" he said as he came rushing into the hallway with a huge smile on his face. "Lucas's awake," he told her happily as he embraced her in a tight hug. "Do you know what the first thing he did when he woke up? Propose to Brooke and she accepted!"

"That's great, Nathan," Haley replied as Nathan realized they weren't alone. Haley did the introductions. "Nathan, this is Deb." Nathan felt the tension between Haley and Deb right away. There was a pause before she spoke again. She wanted to find the right words without sounding mean. "She used to be married to my dad."

Nathan knew what that meant. Now he understood why it was so awkward between the two ladies. He tried to lighten the mood. "Well, I'm sure my mom told you a lot about me. None of it is true." Everyone laughed. Even Haley managed a smile.

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit," Deb told him. "You are a fine young man and your mother has no problem expressing that to me." There was a short pause. "I'm glad Lucas is awake and he's okay. Although, I'm not surprised. Scott men are tough. And I'm happy that he has finally proposed to Brooke. I know how long he has been wanting to take that next step with her." There was a pause before she spoke again. "I'm going to go and take these to Lucas. It's nice to see you again, Haley. And it's nice to meet you, Nathan."

"It was nice to meet you too," Nathan replied. He couldn't believe how nice this woman was compared to the story Haley had told him about her. They exchanged goodbyes before Deb disappeared into Lucas's hospital room. Nathan turned to Haley and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That was your evil stepmother? Are you sure that wasn't her twin?"

Haley laughed before she became serious. "Yes, that was Deb. I know I should give her a second chance, but I can't do it right now. I'm still angry at her for how she treated me. You don't know what she was like back then. How she fooled everyone with that nice act of hers and then she would turn into the stepmother from hell. Did you know she's mayor of Tree Hill now?"

Nathan looked at her surprised. "What? No! Nobody told me."

Haley tried to contain her anger as she remembered where they were. "See, I knew my dad was hiding something. I just didn't think it would be this." They reached the elevators and she pressed the button to the first floor. "Are felons allowed to run for mayor? Isn't there a law against that?" Nathan pulled her in a tight hug. "Can we just go back to the house?"

"Yeah. Can you give me a few minutes so I can call my mom and tell her the good news about Lucas?" he asked, hoping to get her mind off her stepmother. Haley nodded as the elevator doors opened and they walked in. He smiled at her gratefully. He couldn't wait to spread the news that Lucas was awake. He was going to save the engagement news for Lucas and Brooke. That was their good news to spread, not him.

As Haley waited for Nathan, she thought back to the last time she was in a hospital. She realized she couldn't go there. It was too painful and it would only reminded her what she now didn't have anymore. She almost wished she stayed under Daunte's domain. That way, she didn't have to worry about all the secrets that she feared would come out in the open. Daunte couldn't protect her anymore. He couldn't lie for her anymore. And vice versa. She was on her own and it scared her to death. How could she not see this before? Can she really drag Nathan through this journey with the skeletons in her closet?

Haley jumped as Nathan returned to her. His face fell when he saw how scared she was and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. Once again, he went into protective mode. "What's wrong? Is it Deb? Did she do something to you?" he asked. Haley shook her head. "Tell me."

"You know I'm a very private person and I do it to protect everyone from getting hurt," Haley said. "But being in the hospital made me think about how I can't do this with you." Nathan looked at her confused. "I can be here for you. I want to be here for you. But now that Lucas is awake, you should stay with your family. I'm sure you'll want to be there for him while he recovers."

Nathan looked at her. "Haley, where is all of this coming from?" he asked. Even though she had been reunited with her father, it was clear she was still holding some things back. He held her close. "What's going on? You know you can tell me." Haley shook her head. She didn't want to tell him. Not here. It was too public. "I know a place where we won't be disturbed." Haley hated to take him away from Lucas, but she needed a different place to open up and the hospital wasn't it.

Haley was silent the whole way through the drive. When they arrived at their destination, Haley didn't even have to question it. She knew exactly where they were. It was the River Court. She remembered Nathan telling her all about his late night hours at the basketball court to practice for the next game. She looked at him in amazement as they walked onto the court. "It looks pretty nice for a basketball court." Nathan smiled proudly. "Just don't expect me to play against you."

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't play basketball? So were you a cheerleader before you dropped out of high school?"

Haley tried not to laugh. "No, I wasn't a cheerleader. I wouldn't be caught dead in those outfits. Actually, I was a tutor. I loved helping other students. I even had dreams of becoming a teacher someday."

"You still can," Nathan said. Haley considered the idea. She had talked about wanting to go back to high school and get her diploma and then attending college. "You can take some night classes. Then when you're done, we can start attending college together. This time, we'll be able to choose our own paths."

Haley managed a smile. "You're willing to wait for me?" she asked. "That's sweet, but you don't want to follow me. I come with a lot of baggage."

Nathan looked at her. "Your stepmother? Or Daunte? Whatever it is, I can handle it. I have gone through some rough stuff myself."

Haley shook her head. She sat down on the bleachers. "Not like me." Nathan sat down next to her. "Nathan, I didn't want to admit this to you because I'm afraid of opening my heart to you. I don't want you to get hurt. That's what I'm afraid will happen. I don't want to lose another person I love." Nathan perked up at her words. "I love you, Nathan. I do. I love you." Now that she confessed her feelings for him, she felt a little bit better.

Nathan smiled at her. He was relieved she reciprocated his feelings. He had been feeling embarrassed from giving that speech the other day, believing Haley didn't want to pursue a relationship with him. "I love you too." He leaned in closer to her and she followed his actions. She then stopped herself. She pulled away and scooted away from him. Nathan was taken back. "Hales, what's wrong?"

"I told you. I don't want to see you get hurt," Haley repeated. She kept going back and forth with wanting to be with him and wanting him to stay away from her. "Being with me is just opening a can of worms."

Nathan looked at her pleadingly. He could see Haley was really scared. She was really struggling and he wished he could get her to open up. He wanted to help her. "I'm sure there's nothing we can't handle together."

"That's what I thought last time and I wasn't the only one who ended up getting hurt," Haley said almost in a whisper. She had to tell him. She had kept this secret for so long that she had to tell someone. Why did she always have to feel like telling Nathan? What was it about him that made her want to release her emotions? And her secrets? "It was Lydia too."

Nathan frowned. Why was Haley calling her mom by her first name? "Your mom?"

Haley shook her head. "No, my daughter."


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Her daughter. Her little girl who was sadly taken away from her. Who she thought of every day. How she missed seeing her face with that adorable smile. How she missed holding her in her arms. How she missed singing her a lullaby as she went to sleep. How she still remembered their last day together before she made the heartbreaking decision to send her away.

Haley could see Nathan was in shock. He just stared at her incredulously. "I didn't know you had a daughter," he managed to say. Haley took out her phone and showed him a picture. He smiled at the toddler. She looked just like Haley with her brown hair and her brown eyes. "She's beautiful."

Haley smiled proudly. "Thanks. Before you even ask, she's not Daunte's." Nathan let out a sigh of relief. From what he had witnessed, he couldn't imagine Haley getting together with Daunte like that. "No, this was right before we started our business partnership." Nathan still couldn't believe how much he didn't know about his friend, but he loved everything she was willing to share with him. "As you probably have guessed, I've done things I'm not proud of." Nathan nodded. "I made the mistake by sleeping with a guy when I clearly wasn't ready. I ended the relationship and we ended up as good friends, but I then I found out I was pregnant."

Haley let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't know what to do. I was all alone. I didn't feel like I could go home to my dad. It's not that I didn't think I would be accepted back home. I was too ashamed to return. I didn't even know if I could be a good mom because I wasn't raised by a good one. I thought about my options and I knew I wouldn't be able to bring myself to go to a clinic. I contacted the father and he was willing to help me and the baby out in any way he could. Even though I was by myself, I was going to raise the baby."

Nathan admired her for willing to take care of the baby. He was curious to know what happened to her daughter. It was clear the little girl wasn't with her mother anymore. He could see it was still hard for Haley to even tell him about her daughter. "So what happened?" he asked softly.

"Once I met Daunte and I started working for him, I realized this wasn't an environment I wanted my daughter to grow up in." There was a short pause. "So I made the heartbreaking decision to give her up." Nathan couldn't imagine how hard that decision would be. "I contacted her dad and he was willing to take care of her. We were on good terms until I met his girlfriend." Haley stopped for a moment as she thought back to that rough time. "We fought a lot over Lydia. She believed she would be a better mom to Lydia than I was. That pissed me off. At the same time, I believed her."

Nathan interrupted her. He gave her a comforting smile. "No, you were right. You got her out of that situation. I would have done the same thing if I was working for a shady boss."

"One thing led to another and Lydia's dad took her away from me for good," Haley replied. "The worst part was that I didn't even fight him on it. I was in no place to take care of her, but it was still heartbreaking for me to let her go."

Haley ended her story in tears. She didn't want him to see her upset. She wanted to be strong and brave. But she had been brave for so long that she felt she needed to get her emotions out. Nathan held her in his arms and did his best to comfort her. He had no words and maybe that was what all she needed right now. Someone to listen to her. A shoulder to cry on.

Nathan sat there as long as she needed him. When the tears finally began to disappear, Nathan suggested they go and get some dinner. "I know the perfect place by the Riverwalk to get some delicious food and the best part is that you won't have to serve the food." Haley laughed and she managed to smile. He took her hand and they walked back to the vehicle.

Soon, they were sitting on a bench along the Riverwalk eating their burgers, fries and drinking their shakes. As Haley ate the food, she looked at Nathan in amazement. "You're right. This cheeseburger is amazing."

Nathan laughed. "I'm glad you like it. I have a confession to make." Haley looked at him. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it. "I never cared for the food at the diner. I only kept showing up because of my favorite waitress."

Haley smiled. "You wouldn't be the first one to tell me that. I get that a lot." For a moment, she thought back to the diner. Would it be able to last without both her and Millie? A lot of her customers did come to eat just because of her. She turned her focus back to the present. She was done with the diner. There was no point in going back. Although, she did have to figure where she would be staying after she moved out of the apartment.

Haley was so deep in thought that she didn't realize Nathan was trying to get her attention until he practically yelled at her. She jumped as Nathan apologized for scaring her. "I was trying to ask if you wanted to contact Lydia's dad now that you're out of Daunte's hair." He wanted to ask her earlier when she was telling the story, but he had a feeling that it was best to wait. "You're free now. You don't have to worry about bringing her up in that environment anymore."

Haley gave him a grateful smile. "Nathan, I'm grateful that you were willing to listen to my sad tale. I'm even more appreciative that you want to reunite me with my daughter, but I don't think it's possible. For one thing, Lydia's dad moved them away from Los Angeles after I gave my parental rights away and we had no contact since then. I wouldn't even know where to start. When I said I wanted to travel the world, I did not mean I wanted to search for my daughter. She's with her dad and I don't want to disrupt her life."

Nathan thought about her words. "That sounds familiar." Haley frowned. "It just sounds similar with your situation with your dad and Deb."

"My relationship with my daughter's father has nothing in common with my relationship with Deb," Haley replied before she took another bite of her burger.

Nathan realized he had gone too far. He felt he had to cheer her up. He pulled out a little Cracker Jack box from his pocket. "I found this that night I rescued you from Daunte." He opened the box and a colorful plastic bracelet slid onto the table. He slipped it onto Haley's wrist. "Don't say I never gave you anything," he said with a smile. Haley couldn't help but smile back.

They stayed there and watched the sunset before they headed back to the house. Jimmy was there to greet them. Nathan didn't even have to ask where his parents were. He knew they would probably be visiting Lucas at the hospital. He was sure they knew about his brother's engagement by now.

"Where have you two been all day?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows. He wasn't looking too happy. "Karen told me that you called to tell her Lucas was awake. By the time they arrived at the hospital, you guys were gone. And you weren't at the house."

"Nathan showed me around town and took me out to dinner," Haley explained. "It's been a long day. I'm going to go upstairs and get ready for bed." She gave her dad a kiss before she gave one last look at Nathan. With the look she was giving him, he could sense that she didn't want him to say anything about their conversation about her daughter. "Good night."

Nathan gave her a small smile, hoping she would understand his signal. "Good night, Hales," he replied. "See you in the morning."

Haley disappeared from sight and there was an awkward silence as Jimmy kept looking at Nathan. "Come join me for a beer," Jimmy told him. Nathan had a feeling that was code for "we need to talk about your relationship with my daughter". He followed Jimmy into the kitchen where Jimmy pulled out two beers. He handed him one beer and kept the other for himself. He gestured him to sit at the kitchen table.

Nathan complied. He barely let Jimmy sit down before he spoke. "Just to be clear, I'm just looking out for Haley. We're best friends. We're not in a relationship." Jimmy opened his beer and took a sip. "I don't think you're aware what Haley has gone through since she ran away. She's different than she was when she left you five years ago."

Jimmy let out a heavy sigh. "I know. I can tell that she's not the same Haley I knew. I suppose that's my fault. I was the one who fell in love with an alcoholic and I didn't even realize she was abusing my girls. I wanted to give her a second chance, but I should have known the girls weren't ready to let Deb in their lives again."

"I don't think she's angry at you," Nathan replied. "I think she's still angry at Deb. We ran into her at the hospital." Jimmy groaned. "I don't know what they talked about, but she wasn't happy to find out that Deb was now the Mayor of Tree Hill."

"I'm sure she wasn't," Jimmy replied. "Deb didn't want to air out her dirty laundry, but I told her her opponent would use it against her if she didn't. Your father was one to do whatever it took to get his way." Nathan frowned. His dad ran for mayor? "Yes, your father was her opponent, putting your mother in the middle. The election was the most exciting thing that happened in this town in a while. It was a close race, but people were willing to give Deb a second chance. I wish Haley would too."

Nathan took a sip of his own beer. "Haley will. She just needs time. She just came back here after five years of being gone."

Jimmy gave him a look. "So have you. Well, you haven't been gone five years, but you haven't been back home either in a few years. How does it feel seeing your parents?" he asked. "Maybe you can give me some perspective of how Haley is feeling."

Nathan nodded understandingly. "It definitely feels weird, but I have to say I did miss Tree Hill." It was hard to admit it before, but he now had a chance to show Haley his hometown. "There's something about this place that I can't explain. I know the saying that you can never go home again, but I'm not sure if I ever truly left this place. It's really home. I promised Haley I would travel with her. And I don't intend to break that promise. But once Lucas and Brooke get married, I think I'm planning to settle down here. I want to make sure I'm around to help raise their kids."

Jimmy laughed. "Do you think Lucas and Brooke will have kids?"

Nathan smiled as he took another sip of his beer. "Oh yeah. They have been talking about having kids for years. They already have it all planned: two boys and a girl. I wouldn't be surprised if they had names picked out too."

They both laughed. Nathan's smile disappeared for a moment. Why couldn't this relationship be like this with his own dad? Maybe because he was all about moving his son forward in his career and not just regular father-son bonding time? Nathan didn't have time to think about it for too long.

The back door opened up and his parents walked into the kitchen. Karen let out a relieved sigh as she saw her son. "Nathan, there you are. Where were you? We were so worried. Where's Haley?" she asked.

It wasn't a surprise to Nathan when Dan Scott didn't even greet his son. Instead, they stared at each other in silence. Jimmy finally broke the silence. "Give your son room to breathe," he told her. "They were just hanging out and Nathan was nice enough to take Haley out to dinner. She went upstairs to bed already."

"I should probably go to bed too," Nathan said as he continued to look at his father. He kissed his mother. "Good night all." He left the kitchen without another word. As he went up to his old bedroom, he realized Deb wasn't the only one who needed forgiveness.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

When Haley woke up the next morning, the aroma of pancakes hit the air. She followed the scent downstairs and into the kitchen. Karen smiled at her guest. "Good morning, Haley. I hope you slept well." Haley nodded. "I'm making pancakes for everyone." Haley looked at her confused. "Lucas and his friends always came here for breakfast after they had an early morning at the River Court. Lucas may still be in the hospital, but his friends won't turn down free food. Eat up before they come in."

Haley smiled as she grabbed a plate from the cupboard and used a spatula to move some of the pancakes from the main plate to her plate. She sat down at the table. "Did the doctor say how long Lucas will have to stay in the hospital now that he's awake?"

"If everything goes well, he's coming home tomorrow," Karen replied with a smile. "But you're not leaving us already, are you? You barely got here."

"There's some stuff I have to take care of at home," Haley told her, not wanting to discuss too much about her personal life.

"It has nothing to do with avoiding your former stepmother?" Karen asked, raising her eyebrows. Haley stopped eating for a moment. "I'm not going to step in the middle between you and Deb, but I do know that Deb has worked really hard to make amends with everyone including me." Haley looked at her. "Deb and I were college roommates. That's when her drinking problems really began. Our friendship suffered because of it. When she refused to quit drinking, I severed ties with her. We went our separate ways. And I didn't hear from her again until she was truly ready to quit drinking and go into rehab."

Haley interrupted her. "How did she become Mayor?"

"Your family managed to speak on her behalf and told her that they forgave her for what had happened in the past," Karen replied. Haley was quiet. It wasn't just her father who forgave her. Her sisters forgave her. "Your sisters admitted that it wasn't easy. Like you, they were angry at her for the abuse they had suffered from her, but they were able to move past it. Why should you spend your whole life angry at that one person when it's in the past?"

Haley was quiet as they heard the back door open. She became startled as a couple of sweaty guys came into the kitchen. They greeted Karen and they were all over the pancakes. Karen held up her spatula and pointed it at them. "Whoa, there's plenty for everyone. One at a time though. I know you boys have manners. Please use them."

The excited voices slowed down once they noticed Haley. One of the friends spoke instantly. He gave her a friendly smile. "You must be Haley. I'm Jake. This is Skills, Mouth, Junk and Tim." They waved at her. "Don't worry. They don't bite."

Haley managed a smile as Nathan entered the kitchen. They exchanged smiles as he got in line behind his friends. "I see that you've met Lucas's friends. I hope they aren't bothering you." His friends gently nudged him.

Everyone joined Haley at the kitchen table and Haley was suddenly overwhelmed with Nathan and his friends. However, they were friendly and welcoming. They shared stories about Nathan in high school and his love for basketball. Haley kept glancing at Nathan and he seemed embarrassed when they began bragging about him being the high school basketball star.

"That was a lifetime ago," Nathan reminded them as the backdoor opened again. He was surprised, but pleased to see his Uncle Keith. He smiled as he greeted him. "Haley, this is my Uncle Keith. Keith, this is Haley James."

Keith gave her a friendly smile. "It's nice to finally have a name with a face. I've heard so much about you. Thank you for reuniting my family."

Haley was taken back. "I didn't do anything. It was Brooke who called Nathan and told him about Lucas's accident."

"Yeah, but I never would have hopped on the plane if you didn't encourage me to do it," Nathan replied as he finally grabbed his plate and filled it with pancakes and syrup. He watched as his friends crowded around the kitchen table and Haley began to look a little uncomfortable. "Haley, do you want to join me in the dining room?" he asked.

Haley nodded as she got up from the table. "It was nice meeting you guys." The guys waved as she followed Nathan into the dining room. "I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm going to go and see my sisters today. Or at least Quinn. According to my dad, Taylor is gone a lot."

Nathan shook his head. "No, I don't mind. I'll probably go and visit Lucas at the hospital again." He lowered his voice to make sure no one except Haley could hear him. "I don't think I really had a chance to see him yesterday with him being in a coma and then proposing to Brooke. It was a little awkward. I don't think he expected me to be there when he came out of his coma." There was silence before Nathan spoke again. "Nothing is going to stop me today. I don't care if his fiancée is in the room or not. I'm going to visit my brother." They exchanged smiles as Nathan realized he had forgotten syrup. He was able to get up when Haley offered to go retrieve it. "Just be careful. They may look nice, but they're monsters when it comes to sharing food." Haley laughed as they heard a response from Skills.

After a delicious breakfast, they went their separate ways. Karen was very kind in offering to drive her to Wilmington and Haley accepted the offer. Haley was nervous about seeing her sisters again. They were upset when she just took off and never contacted them. Haley couldn't blame them. She ran away without even thinking how much it would affect her family. Yet, she knew she no longer could be around Deb. The memories of physical and emotional abuse were just too painful.

To her relief, the reunion with Quinn was just as heartwarming it was with her dad. She had understood her sister's departure, but she was a little upset that she never remained in contact with her after she left. Haley apologized and promised she would stay in touch more often. Other than that conversation, they were able to enjoy the day with each other.

Haley allowed Quinn to babble about her life. Quinn was now happily married and she even had an adorable stepson who she adopted as her own son. Haley wanted to feel guilty, but Quinn assured her that she didn't miss anything. It was a simple wedding at city hall since neither of them wanted a big wedding and it was easy for her to sign the adoption papers there.

When it came time to answer about her own life, Haley gave her as little information as possible. She didn't want Quinn to worry about her or worse – tell their dad about the drama with Daunte. It was in the past and that part of her life was over now. At least, that was she kept telling herself.

Thinking about Daunte reminded herself that she needed to get back to L.A. She had to find another place to live before Daunte threw her belongings out of the apartment. Or at least her personal belongings. Most of the furniture, she didn't really care about taking with her. It didn't mean anything to her. Photographs. Jewelry. That was what was important to her and that was what she had to make sure was safe.

Haley kept quiet about her plans to return to L.A. to herself as she prepared herself to return to Tree Hill. After playing phone tag with both Nathan and Karen, she was able to get ahold of someone to come and pick her up. Although, she understood why she wasn't able to contact anyone and she was perfectly fine with the Scott family celebrating the early release of Lucas and his announcement of his engagement. She was grateful for the extra minutes with Quinn.

When she arrived back at the house, Nathan happily introduced her to Lucas. Like everyone else, Lucas gave her a warm welcome and thanked her for bringing his brother home. Haley gave up in not giving herself credit for helping Nathan reunite with his family. By returning to North Carolina, she was also able to do that for herself as well.

Nathan could sense that something was bothering her. He waited until his family was distracted to follow Haley to the guestroom. He closed the door for more privacy. He looked at her with concern. There was silence, but he didn't feel like she had to say anything. Haley had come with him for support and the trip wasn't in vain. Lucas was able to come out of his coma and he was able to reunite with his family.

"You're ready to go back to L.A., aren't you?" he asked. Haley let out a heavy sigh. "It's okay. You can go and start packing your stuff. I'll stay here a few more days and then I'll join you." Haley wanted to protest, but it was clear he still wanted to go with her. To be with her. "After all, I still need to quit my job and pack up my stuff." Haley managed a laugh. "My boss gave me some time off to spend time with my family, but I can't stay here forever. At least not now." Haley looked at him curiously. "I meant what I said, Hales. I'm willing to be your traveling companion, but I also don't want to lose my relationship with Lucas or my mom again. So after the wedding, I'm going to move back to Tree Hill."

Haley gave him a smile. "Good for you." She let out a heavy sigh. "I have to admit that I felt so guilty when I heard I had missed my sister's wedding. I had missed out on getting to know my adopted nephew. As much as I still don't feel comfortable around Deb, I'm not going to let her stop me from visiting my dad or my sisters. I have done that for far too long and I'm not going to do that anymore." Nathan knew she was referring to her bond to Daunte. "Of course, that means I would have to move back to North Carolina."

"Would you be okay with that?" Nathan asked.

Haley was quiet for a moment. "I don't know. I'm just glad I have awhile to figure it out."

The conversation was over as they both returned to the celebration. The family continued to make Haley feel welcomed and included and she had to admit that she hated to leave them. She hated to leave her dad and Quinn, but there was no choice. She had to return to L.A.

It was hours before the celebration died down and Haley was able to return to the guestroom to settle down for the night. As she prepared herself to read, she heard her cellphone ringing. She dug in her purse and she couldn't believe who it was. Yet, it shouldn't have been a surprise. She put the phone to her ear. "What the hell do you want now, Daunte?"

Haley could hear the amusement in his voice. "Is that any way to speak to your boss?"

"Excuse me? I believe you just fired me and kicked me out of my apartment," Haley reminded him.

The amusement was still in his voice. "Come on, Haley. You know that was just an act for your boyfriend. Did you really think I would get rid of my best waitress? You and I both know you're the only reason my customers keep coming back to the diner. They adore you." Haley had to admit that was true. "So why don't you tell me when you're returning so I can book a plane ticket for you?"

"You may not have meant what you said, but I'm serious. I'm not going back to work for you," Haley told him. She could hear Daunte forming a response, but she was quicker. "I know you know my dirty little secrets, but I don't care anymore. If they find out, then I'll suffer the consequences." She hung up the phone, hoping nobody would ever find out.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

To Haley's relief, Millie and Mouth had kept a close eye on her apartment for her while she had been gone. Once she returned to the apartment, she worked quickly to pack up her personal belongings and moved them to a storage locker. She didn't want to risk anybody stealing them before she had a chance to find another place to live. Or trust that Daunte would leave her alone. For safety reasons, she slept at Millie's apartment until Nathan was able to return to Los Angeles.

However, a wrench was thrown into the plan. One morning when she had returned to her apartment to continue to pack up boxes to sell, there was a knock at the door. Haley barely had time to open it when the blonde-haired woman stormed in. She took one look around the room filled with boxes before she turned back to Haley. "So the rumors are true. You are finally leaving Daunte. How the hell did you not tell me?" the woman demanded.

Haley just smiled. "Nice to see you too, Peyton," she replied as Peyton pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. However, Haley snatched both of the things out of her hands. "No smoking in my apartment," she reminded her. "I may be moving out, but it's still my apartment for a few more days." Peyton gave her an angry look, but she put her cigarette and lighter away. Haley went back to the original question. "Everything happened so fast. How was I supposed to know when you were going to be back in town?"

Peyton shrugged as she crossed her arms. "I'm just wondering how you did it. How did you manage to wrestle your way out of your contract?" Peyton raised her eyebrows. "Does it have anything to do with a certain Scott coming to your rescue?" Haley tried not to laugh. "I'll take that as a yes. The Scott men always did like to stick their noses in where they don't belong."

"Your experience with the Scott family is completely different than mine," Haley defended as Peyton settled down on the sofa. Haley went to the kitchen. She poured each of them a glass of ice water before returning to the sofa. She handed one glass to Peyton and she kept one for herself. She sat down on the sofa next to her. "I met them. Nathan had to go back to North Carolina and he wanted me to go with him. They were so warm and welcoming."

Peyton rolled her eyes. Haley knew better than to mention Lucas was now engaged to Brooke. "I suppose you avoided your family while you were there?" she guessed as she took a sip of her water. Haley shook her head. Peyton looked at her impressed. "Really? Now that's a story I want to hear. Did you run into your evil stepmother while you were there?"

"You could have warned me she was the Mayor of Tree Hill," Haley said exasperated. "It would have been nice to find out before I ran into her."

Peyton gave her a look. "Oh, like you were willing to tell me that Lucas and Brooke got engaged?" she challenged. "I keep tabs on them you know. They announced their engagement this morning. I'm not surprised though. They have been calling it since high school."

"If you're not a fan of Lucas or the Scotts anymore, why are you still keeping tabs on them?" Haley asked. She had asked that question several times before, but Peyton's answer never satisfied her. "Are you jealous of their relationship or something? Because they are really happy right now and I don't want you to ruin that."

Peyton thought for a moment. "You're right. Let's talk about you. How did you convince Daunte to let you go free? Because I would love to know what you did. Do I need a knight in shining armor or just a Scott like you had?"

"When Daunte tried to hit on me and tried to make me work at his club again, I snapped and told him I was done," Haley told her. "I didn't care if he knew my secrets. I didn't care if I would lose my job or my apartment. I knew I couldn't stay here any longer." She took a sip of water and Peyton waited for more. "Now I just need to convince him to keep his promise and let me go."

Peyton gave her a satisfied smile. "I knew he wouldn't let his favorite waitress go. He knows his little diner is going to fail without you. And he probably thinks you will fail without him. After all, you're a high school dropout. Where are you going to go? Back home to your dad?" Haley shrugged as she took another sip. "You're planning to go back home to North Carolina, aren't you? Was it Nathan's idea?"

Haley stopped her right there. "Leave Nathan out of this, okay?" she defended as she got up from the sofa. Her voice was rising with anger. "This is not about him or the Scotts. It's about me. I have been trapped my whole life. Trapped with my stepmom and her abuse. I was able to get out of that and my life was fine for a while." She didn't want to bring Lydia in this conversation. "Then I met Daunte and I have been trapped for three years. Now it's finally my turn to be able to make my own choices again. And I'm not going to let you or Daunte ruin that for me."

Peyton's demeanor changed. She gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Haley, I'm so sorry." Haley could hear the sincerity in her voice. "I've had a rough week and I was trying to cheer myself up by taking it out on you." Haley let out a sigh and sat back down next to her. They embraced in a tight hug and Peyton knew she was forgiven. "I was serious though. I don't think this life is for me either. I just don't want to go back home where Lucas and his lovely fiancée is."

"There are plenty of other bachelors in Tree Hill," Haley said. Peyton managed a smile. "I met a lot of Lucas's friends from the River Court. And it sounds like Lucas is the first one out of his friends who is engaged."

Peyton nodded. "Yes, I noticed that. I'm surprised Jake is still part of that group. I know he has talked about moving on from Tree Hill. But I guess some people just can't stay away from their hometown."

"There's nothing wrong with Tree Hill," Haley defended. "Or Wilmington. Returning to North Carolina made me realize how much I missed it. And how much I missed being near my dad and Quinn." There was a short pause. "I missed her wedding and she's married with a little stepson." Peyton looked at her curiously. "Yeah, his name is Logan and he's so cute. And Nathan said he didn't want to miss being around for Lucas and Brooke when they have a family. You know what? I agree with him. I have been gone from home for far too long. After Nathan and I do some traveling, we're going to go home and I'm going to spend time with my family. And I'm going to reconnect with them."

Peyton smiled. "Good for you, Haley. What about Deb though?"

Haley let out a sigh. What could she do about Deb? As much as she still didn't like her, she wasn't going to go anywhere. After all, she was the mayor of Tree Hill. "I'm going to try and give her a second chance. I think I owe her that." Peyton nodded understandingly. "What about you? Don't tell me you are going to stay here." Peyton didn't answer.

Haley looked at her. "Peyton, you just said it yourself. You want to get away from Daunte as much as I do. Why don't you come back to Tree Hill with us?" Peyton adamantly shook her head. Haley was persistent. "You don't have to stay in Tree Hill. We can rent an apartment together in Wilmington. Just think about it."

Peyton was about to respond when she heard her phone. She made a face as she recognized the ringtone. "That's Daunte. I should answer it. Do you mind if I go in the other room for some privacy?" she asked. Haley shook her head and Peyton got up from the sofa again. "Great. I'll be right back." She hurried in the other room and closed the door. She let out another groan before she put the phone to her ears. "I'm here."

 _"Don't tell me the rumors about Haley James are true,"_ the voice hissed. _"Is she really planning to move back to North Carolina?"_ The voice didn't even let Peyton answer. _"I can't believe I trusted that idiot Daunte. I should have known he would go too far with her. Why couldn't he just let her stay at the diner instead of trying to force her to work at the club? I need her at the diner. The Scotts are already enemies of mine. If she spills her dirty little secrets, I'm screwed. You need to go back to North Carolina with her. Make her time miserable there so she feels like she has no choice but to go back to Los Angeles."_

"I can't do that," Peyton protested, doing her best to keep her voice down. She didn't want Haley to hear her. "In case you didn't know, Haley's miserable here. Keeping tabs on the Scott family is one thing. I'm not exactly fond of Lucas right now. But Haley's different. She's my friend and I refuse to make her miserable again."

 _"I don't care. Do it or else,"_ the voice threatened her before Peyton heard a click.

Peyton let out a heavy sigh before she returned to the den. Haley saw the upset look on her face. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Peyton nodded with a reassuring smile. "Are you sure?" she pressed.

"Why don't I help you pack?" Peyton asked, not wanting to discuss it. She took one last sip from her water glass and put it on the side table. Haley was grateful for the help and they began putting more of Haley's things into boxes. "So what are you going to do once you move back to North Carolina?"

"Actually, I'm thinking about going back to school," Haley replied. "As you pointed out, I can't get anywhere without a high school diploma or even a college degree." Peyton gave her a guilty look. "No, I'm good. It's on my bucket list anyway."

Peyton looked at her surprised. "How long have you been planning your escape?"

Haley laughed before she was quiet. "Ever since Lydia was taken away from me." Peyton became quiet, knowing that was a tough subject with her. "I told Nathan about her. It's funny how I don't talk about her to anybody else. I didn't even tell my dad or Quinn yet. I used to tell my sister everything. Now I'm sharing secrets with Nathan."

"How much did you tell him?" Peyton asked curiously.

"I gave him bits and pieces," Haley said. "But I didn't mention any details about the drama with Carrie or Daunte. Telling him about Lydia was enough. He thought we could try and find her since I'm now free of Daunte." Peyton smiled at the thoughtful gesture. "I told him that she's with her dad now and I don't want to disrupt her life."

"Nathan's right though. You can hire a private investigator and look for her," Peyton said. "It would be nice for Lydia to know both of her parents. Believe me. I know. And you do too. But it's your decision. I'm going to respect it." Haley gave her a grateful smile. Peyton changed back to the original subject. "So you want to go back to school, huh?" Haley nodded happily. "That's great. I'm happy for you." As she said those words, Peyton wondered how long her friend's happiness would last.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Once Haley was ready, Nathan took her to sight see San Francisco. Haley had never been there and she wanted to visit before they returned back to North Carolina. Mouth and Millie joined them. They were only gone a week, but Nathan and Haley became closer than ever before. The friendship was clearly blossoming into romance, but both tried to deny it. By the time they returned back to Los Angeles, Peyton informed Haley that she was willing to be her new roommate.

Nathan, Haley and Peyton weren't the only ones moving to North Carolina. After much discussion, Mouth and Millie decided to come with them and move to the east coast. They were tired of the city and believed it was time for a change of pace. Nathan and Haley were pleased to hear their friends were moving to the same area as they were.

Once everyone heard Haley and Nathan were moving back home, the Scott family and Haley's family all jumped at the chance to help move their belongings across country. Lucas and Jimmy James were the first ones to fly out to Los Angeles to help pack up the moving truck. Brooke arrived a few days later to help Haley drive her car across country since Quinn wasn't available to do it.

Things became awkward when Peyton showed up for the drive to North Carolina. Nathan was even surprised considering Haley never told him who the new roommate was. Lucas was the first one to speak. "Peyton, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm going with Haley back to North Carolina," she replied. Both Brooke and the Scott brothers were confused. Peyton gave him the short version. "After our breakup, I moved here and Haley and I became friends. And she has convinced me it's time to move back home. By the way, congratulations on your engagement. I'm happy for you two."

"You're Haley's new roommate?" Nathan asked. Peyton nodded. He was still trying to process the news. "Wait, I'm confused. I've been in Los Angeles for a while and nobody has ever told me you were here." He turned to Haley. "All this time, I've talked about Lucas and Peyton and Brooke and you've never mentioned that you knew her."

"That was my fault," Peyton told him. "I asked Haley not to say anything. I wanted to distance myself from your family. Seeing you would be just a reminder of Lucas and I didn't want that. So I stayed away when you were at the diner. It's nice to know you looked after Haley when I wasn't there."

From her words, Nathan had a feeling she knew what Haley had gone through with Daunte. However, he kept his mouth shut as Jimmy appeared. Lucas did the introductions and Jimmy was pleased to meet another one of Haley's friends. The conversation quickly turned to who would be riding with who. Especially since there was now an extra person.

As they were discussing, another car pulled up. To Haley's surprise, it was Mouth and Millie. There were quick introductions before Millie gestured her to move away from the group. Haley frowned, but followed her until they were a short distance from the Scott family. Peyton was right behind them. Haley looked at Millie. "What's up?" Millie took out an envelope and handed one to Haley. Haley frowned. "What's this?"

"I don't know. I got one too," Millie said as Haley opened hers. She gasped as she saw the amount of money on the check. Peyton looked over her head and was just as shocked as Haley. They looked back at Millie. "Yeah, I had the same reaction. I thought it was from Daunte. I didn't want to accept the money. I asked around and Daunte isn't the owner of the diner anymore." Alarm bells went off in Haley's head. "I don't know what happened, but a new owner has taken over the diner." Haley was still suspicious as she looked at the check again. "I feel funny accepting the money when I don't even know who it's from."

"I know," Haley agreed.

Peyton lowered her voice. She wanted to make sure the others didn't hear her. "You don't think it's from David, do you?"

Haley adamantly shook her head. "No, David doesn't have that type of money. Besides, why would he want to help me out after I destroyed his relationship with Carrie? And put our daughter in danger? No, it has to be someone else."

"What should we do with it?" Millie asked. "I don't want it."

"Just hold onto it for now," Haley replied as Jimmy approached them. Haley slipped her envelope to Peyton and she hid it in her purse. Haley quickly finished what she wanted to say. "I wouldn't cash it until we know who sent us the money." Millie nodded. "Hey Dad."

"Is everything okay?" he asked. Haley nodded. "Are your friends joining us today? It would probably be easier. Lucas doesn't exactly like the idea that his fiancée and ex-girlfriend in the same vehicle. And Nathan feels like he needs to protect you all the time. Is there a reason why he feels like he needs to protect you?"

Haley gave him a comforting smile. "Dad, you worry too much. But if you really think it's best all five of us be in the same vehicle, then we can handle it. I'll be the mediator between Lucas, Brooke and Peyton. And Nathan and I will have separate rooms like we did when we went to San Francisco."

Jimmy looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You two went to San Francisco together?"

"Marvin and I went with them," Millie said, speaking up. "Haley didn't feel comfortable with just Nathan so she invited a couple of more friends. We had so much fun. We definitely should do another girls trip soon without the guys. But Marvin and I aren't going on this trip. We're going to fly to Wilmington and try to find an apartment first." She turned back to Haley. "You're lucky you have connections."

"I'm sure the Scott family would help find you and Mouth an apartment too," Haley told her. "I can put in a good word for you."

Millie smiled gratefully. "Thanks, but I think Marvin and I can handle it. I should let you go. Or Marvin and I will beat you to Tree Hill."

Haley embraced her in a tight hug. "We'll see you in a few weeks. Call me if you need anything." She lowered her voice. "And don't worry about that anonymous donor. We'll figure it out."

Millie nodded. "Good luck," she said. "I have a feeling you are going to need it with the road trip."

Haley smiled. She and Millie exchanged goodbyes before she said goodbye to Mouth. They politely said goodbye to Peyton, Brooke and the Scott family. As soon as they left, everyone prepared to pack up the last of their belongings and climb into the vehicles. Brooke assured Lucas that she and Peyton could be in the same car without any drama so it was the ladies in one vehicle and the Scott men in the other vehicle. They were willing to switch later if they needed to do it.

Haley was the driver and Brooke was in the passenger's seat while Peyton sat in the back. Both drivers made sure they had their walkie talkies in case they lost each other. Haley took one last look at the apartment building before she started the engine and followed Nathan's vehicle out into the street.

Brooke wanted Haley to tell her all about her trip to San Francisco. Peyton listened to Haley as she wondered about the check. There was no doubt in her mind of who gave the ten thousand dollar check to Haley and Millie. Although, she wasn't sure why. If her boss really wanted Haley to return to working at the diner, the check was going to ensure the opposite.

The drive to their first stop went smoothly. Haley discovered more about Brooke and her home life growing up and the fractured relationship she had with her own parents. She also went into telling stories about both of the Scott brothers. Both Brooke and Haley were nice to include Peyton in the conversation, but Peyton wasn't in the mood to talk. She didn't want to admit it, but she was feeling guilty about tagging along. She hated lying to her friend about the real reason she wanted to be her roommate, but she also was aware of the consequences if she did tell her.

By the time they arrived at their first hotel, they were all exhausted. Room arrangements were made. Lucas and Brooke wanted to have their own private room while Peyton and Haley would share the adjoining room. Both Jimmy and Nathan would also have their own rooms.

Even though they were only there for one night, Brooke and Lucas wanted to take a dip in the pool. They encouraged the others to join them. Jimmy passed on the offer. But Nathan was willing to join them and he was able to convince both Peyton and Haley to change into their swimsuits.

As Haley came into the pool area, Lucas was playfully splashing Brooke. Nathan popped his head out of the water. He gave her a wide smile. "It's about time you got here. You're missing all the fun." He couldn't help but notice how she was wearing a swimsuit and not a bikini like Brooke and Peyton were. "I like your swimsuit," he complimented.

Haley smiled. "Thanks." She walked over to one of the chairs and threw her towel down on the side of the chair. She walked to the edge of the pool where the steps were and placed her feet in the cold water. As she continued to step further in the pool, she realized it was the wrong thing to do. Her friends splashing around. Nathan underwater. These things began to trigger an unpleasant memory involving her, the pool and a drunken Deb.

Haley realized she had to get out of there. "Actually, I think I'm going to go in the Jacuzzi." She ignored the confused looks on her friends' faces. The Jacuzzi was just a few steps away from the pool, but it was enough for Haley. As soon as she stepped in the Jacuzzi, she felt so relaxed. She closed her eyes as she tried to get rid of the horrible memory in her mind.

"Is it okay if I join you?" a familiar voice asked. Haley opened her eyes and nodded. Nathan stepped in the hot tub and sat down next to her. He gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he asked. As soon as he saw Haley's scared face, he knew it had to involve Deb. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Haley let out a sigh. "There was a pool incident involving my evil stepmother," she replied. Nathan wasn't surprised. He looked at her with interest. She gave him the short version. "Thanks to her, I almost drowned because she was drinking when she was supposed to be watching me. I haven't exactly been fond of a pool since. I didn't want to say anything because I thought I was over it. Isn't that crazy? I'm twenty-one-years-old and I still can't seem to get back in the pool." She gestured over to Lucas and Brooke who were now trying to dunk each other in the water. She smiled to herself as she watched the scene. "Of course, I have a pretty good view here."

Nathan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let them have their fun. They needed a vacation away from the parents." Haley turned to him curious. It was Nathan's turn to tell his problems. "If the wedding planning wasn't stressful enough, there are rumors going around that my mom is having an affair with my Uncle Keith."

Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Nathan, I'm so sorry. I'm sure those rumors aren't true." She didn't know the Scott family well enough, but she couldn't imagine Karen having an affair with Keith.

Nathan gave her a grateful smile. "I wouldn't be so sure. I have seen how my mom acts when Keith is around her. She's happier with him than with my dad. In fact, it looks like she's happy around everyone except her own husband."

"Have you confronted your parents about it?" Haley asked the dreaded question.

Nathan shook his head. "No, I still haven't exactly talked to my dad since we returned home. I know I should, but you know as well as I do that it's hard to forgive people." Haley knew that was true. Nathan became serious. "Enough talk about my parents. What's the deal with you and Peyton? How much does she really know about you and your connection to Daunte?"

Haley debated on how much she wanted to tell him. "You can put your protective shield down. Peyton is my friend. We've been through a lot together including the drama with Daunte. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but she really didn't want you to know."

"If she was afraid I would try and stop her from dealing with Daunte, she would have been right," Nathan replied. "I know I seem overprotective, but nobody messes with my friends and family." The conversation stopped as the two lovebirds finally took a break and joined them in the Jacuzzi.

Brooke gave Haley a worried look, but Haley assured her she was fine. Both Haley and Nathan could sense they had something to say. Lucas was the one who spoke up first. "Look, I am happy you girls were able to get along without any fighting, but I really want to spend some time with my fiancee during this road trip. So we were wondering if we could switch passengers. Brooke can go in Nathan's car with me and Nathan can go with you and Peyton in your car."

Nathan tried not to laugh. "Yeah, you're going to have to get past Haley's dad on that one. There's no way he will let me and Haley be in the same car. Even if he was the one supervising us, he wouldn't do it."

"It's not like you two are dating," Brooke pointed out. She looked at them hard. "Are you two dating?"

Haley jumped at the chance to answer. "No, we're not," she assured her. "But I'm sure I can convince my dad that I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm a big girl now and I can handle riding in cars with a guy. I've done it before." Lucas and Brooke smiled at her gratefully. "I'm surprised Peyton isn't here yet. Maybe I should go and check on her."

Before Haley could get out of the Jacuzzi, the double door entrance to the pool area opened and Peyton walked in, towel over her shoulder. She gave them an apologetic look as she hurried over to the Jacuzzi. "I'm sorry. I had to handle a phone call." Haley looked at her curiously. Peyton gave her a secret signal that they would discuss it later. Nathan was polite enough to move over for her and Peyton sat down between him and Brooke.

There was an awkward silence before Haley spoke. "You know, I've heard very interesting stories that involved the Scott brothers on the trip over here." Both Lucas and Nathan groaned and it led to a discussion about the brothers' versions of the events.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

As the travelers made it closer to Tree Hill, the rumors about the alleged affair between Keith and Karen were confirmed to be true. Karen was having an affair with her husband's brother and she had filed for separation from Dan. Nathan had no doubt it would lead to divorce after the required year-long separation was up. Neither of his parents seemed happy with each other. Even Lucas didn't seem surprised to hear his parents were separating. He told his brother they had been like that since Nathan had taken off. Karen had blamed Dan for pushing Nathan away and she was afraid he would never come home.

Nathan turned his focus to Haley. He was worried about her. According to Peyton, her hotel roommate, she had been having nightmares ever since she tried to enter the pool. Nathan wished he could allow her to enter his hotel room so she could sleep next to him, but he knew Jimmy would never allow it. He would think they were sleeping together when they weren't.

It seemed like ages before they arrived in North Carolina. It was a relief to all of them. It had been a long week, but it had been fun. There was no arguments between Peyton, Lucas and Brooke. Although, the Scott brothers were still suspicious of Peyton. However, they were going to try and trust her because of Haley.

When they arrived at Haley's and Peyton's new apartment, the moving truck had already arrived. Deb, Keith, Karen and the River Court friends were all there to help unload the truck. Karen was just as surprised as the rest of her family to see Peyton with the group. She was even more surprised to hear Haley and Peyton knew each other and they were going to be roommates. However, she welcomed her with open arms.

Karen and Deb were the ones who brought food for Haley and Peyton. The roommates were grateful since they had no plan for meals. They were just going to wing it until they would be able to get to the grocery store.

The roommates quickly decided which bedroom was theirs before everyone got to work. The men carried the furniture in the apartment and Haley and Peyton directed them to the right location. The unloading didn't take very long. After everything was moved off of the truck, the parents said their goodbyes so Haley and Peyton could hang out with their friends. Although, most of them were there to hang out with Haley than Peyton. However, they were all polite and nice to her.

Over the next few days, both Haley and Peyton got settled in their apartment. It wasn't the first time they had been roommates. They had been roommates before when they had first met. They had gotten along well, but they were forced to be separated because of Daunte's request. It was believed by the two friends that he thought they were too close and he was afraid he would lose Haley as an employee.

They also began looking for jobs. It wasn't long before Haley found a job. Thanks to her references, she was able to get a job waitressing at Karen's Café. Karen was very impressed with her waitressing skills. She even was willing to help Haley enroll in night classes at the high school when she was ready.

Every night after shift, Nathan drove Haley home so she wouldn't have to do it in the dark. Haley was grateful for the ride. In reality, Nathan was using the time to work up the courage to ask her out. He was tired of Lucas and his friends teasing him and pushing him to go in the café and just ask her out right then and there. However, Nathan wanted the moment to be perfect. He didn't want to force Haley in answering him in front of everyone. The last thing he wanted was embarrassing her.

As the first week passed, Nathan remained silent about asking Haley out on a date. He didn't know why he was so nervous about asking Haley out. He had been on dates before, but it was never serious. It was more like he was obligated to date this person because he was captain of the basketball team and Rachel was the head cheerleader. He was never in love with Rachel. And it was so different with Haley. He couldn't even describe how he felt about her. He knew she felt the same way, but he didn't know if she was ready to date again.

"What are you thinking about?" a voice asked in a teasing voice. Nathan snapped back to reality. Instead of Lucas, it was Brooke. The smile didn't leave her face. "Are you thinking about your date with Haley?" When he didn't want to respond, Brooke's smile disappeared. She looked at him exasperated. "You still haven't asked Haley out? What's the problem? Do you want me to help you speed the process along?"

"You're not asking her for me," Nathan protested.

Brooke gave him a look. "I'm not planning on asking her for you." Her smile reappeared. "I just thought I would help make it easier for you by having you guys join me and Lucas for dinner. That way, she can't say no because then you would be a third wheel. And at the end of the night, you can lead into the suggestion of a date with just the two of you." Nathan wasn't convinced. "It will work. Trust me. In fact, I'll ask her for you since you're too nervous to do it." Nathan wanted to protest, but he could see Brooke had made up her mind.

That afternoon, Brooke stopped by the café. To her delight, the café was nearly empty with just a few customers hanging around. Haley wasn't waiting on anybody. With a wide smile on her face, she approached the counter and sat on one of the bar stools. Haley returned the smile and greeted her. "How is your first week going?" Brooke asked her as Haley handed her a menu.

"I seem to be as popular as I was back in Los Angeles," Haley replied. "But the pay is better, the customers are nicer and I love my boss."

Brooke could hear the happiness in her voice. "That's great, Haley," she said as she handed the menu back to her. "I'll just have my regular order of Mocha Double Latte." Haley turned towards the coffee machine nervously. Brooke noticed the face and sensed something was wrong. "You don't know how to work that coffee machine, do you?"

"It's a little too fancy for me," Haley admitted as she made Brooke a regular cup of coffee. "We didn't have those types of upgrades at the diner. Regular or decaf coffee was just enough for the customers."

Haley put the cup of coffee in front of Brooke. "You don't have to explain. I know you're new at this," Brooke said as she took a sip of her coffee. "And you're new in town. To give you a proper welcome, I thought you could join me, Lucas and Nathan for a dinner on Saturday night."

Haley gave her a grateful smile. "That sounds nice, but I already have plans with Peyton. We're going to a movie."

"Then bring her along," Brooke suggested. Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That way, we can welcome her too. I know she's Lucas's ex-girlfriend, but she's also your friend. I know the guys don't trust her, but I want to give her a chance." Haley wanted to respond, but Brooke was prepared with another defense. "I'll ask Jake to join us so we can make it an even six."

Brooke stared Haley down until she let out a defeated sigh. "All right. I'll ask Peyton if she wants to join us. Don't be surprised if she doesn't. She still feels a little awkward around you and Lucas." Brooke gave her a sympathetic look. "Hey, don't blame yourself. I know you're trying to be nice, but it's okay if you don't trust her."

"From what I've seen, she's not trying to get in between me and Lucas," Brooke said, taking sips of her coffee when she wasn't talking. "She's trying to get in between you and Nathan."

Haley tried not to laugh. "What? That's ridiculous. Peyton has no interest in Nathan."

"Do you?" Brooke asked, relieved she could finally bring this into the conversation. "You two seem pretty close during our little road trip. And I know you two have been friends for a couple of years now. So I wouldn't be surprised if you two would move your relationship to the next level soon. Especially since you're now settling in again."

"I don't know. I would hate to ruin our friendship because we did take our relationship to the next level."

"Don't tell me my little sister has given up on love," a voice asked. Brooke looked over her shoulder and a woman with long dark hair that looked similar to Haley approached the counter. She gave her a friendly smile. "You must be Brooke. I'm Quinn, Haley's sister."

Brooke returned the smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. Haley has been telling me all about you."

"Likewise," Quinn replied before she turned to Haley. "A cup of coffee please." Haley happily poured a cup for her sister. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you I was in town, but it was a spur of the moment decision. Clay is out of town this week and Logan is off with his friends so I had the day to myself. So I thought I would visit Dad and see you at work."

"How is Dad? I haven't had a chance to visit him since we arrived back in North Carolina," Haley said before she remembered Brooke was still there. She gave her an apologetic look. "We can talk about this later."

"No, it's alright. It's nice to hear about family being concerned about each other," Brooke replied. "Besides, I like your dad. He's really sweet. He's much nicer than Dan." She gave them a guilty look. "I'm not exactly looking forward to having him as my father-in-law." There was a short pause. "Of course, there's always Keith."

"Let's not get into that," Haley told her. She didn't want to gossip about Keith and Karen in the café. Especially since Karen was now her boss. "How's Dad?" she asked again, getting back to the original subject.

"Dad's fine, but he is a little worried about your relationship with Nathan Scott," Quinn admitted. "He doesn't believe you two are just friends and he wants him to stay far away as possible from you. I defended you as much as I could. But I don't believe that was enough. You should probably talk to him, especially if you want your friendship with Nathan to go further."

Haley let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I was afraid of that. I love him, but he doesn't need to protect me. Neither does Nathan. I have been taking care of myself for the last five years. If I need protection, I'll ask for it." She didn't want to admit she began to have nightmares about Daunte returning for her. She needed a distraction. "Quinn, are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"I'll take a cheeseburger and a side of fries," Quinn replied. Haley disappeared in the kitchen for a moment before she returned to her customers. "My next stop is visiting Deb. Would you like to join me?"

"I'll be working all day," Haley quickly replied. "And then Nathan will be driving me home." Haley realized she had said too much as her friends looked at her with amused smiles on their faces. "Don't read too much into it. He just drives me home because he doesn't want me to drive home in the dark." Her friends didn't look convinced. With two faces looking at her, Haley finally gave in. She lowered her voice so no one else could hear. "Okay, I admit it. I love Nathan. I have for a while, but I didn't want either of us to get hurt."

"Because of this whole thing with Daunte? Well, forget about him. You are in North Carolina now and this is your chance to start over," Brooke encouraged her. "What's a better way to settle in your new life than a new apartment, roommate, job and a new boyfriend?"

Haley still didn't answer. "What do you have to lose?" Quinn added.

One of the customers had listened closely to the conversation and she was not happy. Not waiting to hear Haley's answer, she grabbed her belongings, left a tip for Haley and left the café. She waited until she got in her car to pull out her cellphone and speed dialed a number. There was only one ring before the other person picked up the phone. _"What's the status, Nikki?"_ the voice demanded.

"I hate to disappoint you, but I don't think Haley is going to be returning to Los Angeles anytime soon," Nikki replied. She could hear yelling on the other side of the phone. Nikki ignored the yelling. "Don't worry. Their relationship won't last long. I promise."

 _"Keep an eye on Peyton too and remind her where her loyalties lie,"_ her boss ordered.

Nikki nodded. "You've got it boss."


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

When Haley arrived home, Peyton was sitting on the sofa, watching television. They greeted each other as she joined her friend on the sofa. Peyton noticed the smile on her face. "I take it that you had a successful day working at the café?" she asked. Haley nodded. "Good because somebody has to pay the rent."

Haley gave her a sympathetic look. "No luck on the job front? Well, I think the weekend is the perfect time to take a break." There was a short pause. "Do you mind if we change plans for Saturday?" Peyton looked at her. "Brooke invited us to have dinner with her, Lucas and Nathan. And she was going to invite Jake to make an even six." Haley could see Peyton was already getting ready to protest. "I thought you said you were okay around Lucas and Brooke. And Jake will be there. You two can get to know each other again."

Peyton wished she could tell Haley the truth, but she had to protect her friend. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but you don't need to play matchmaker. I can find my own boyfriend. I'm not interested right now. I just moved back here. And I'm still looking for a job."

"Have you thought about asking Karen?" Haley asked. "I know she's Lucas's mom, but she won't judge you for what happened between you and Lucas. You must know that." Peyton nodded. "And it will be a lot easier working at the café than trying to find a job around here. We'll get to have the same shift together and we can carpool. It's perfect."

"Are you tired of Nathan driving you?" Peyton teased. Haley just smiled. "I guess I'll go with you. Somebody has to keep you two apart." She said it with humor, but she knew she had to ruin her friend's happiness. It wasn't going to be tomorrow night though. No, she was going to give Haley and Nathan a chance to be in love. They deserved to be happy for a while.

The next evening, Brooke came over to help Haley find the perfect outfit. As much as Haley kept insisting it wasn't a real date, her friends convinced her this was her chance to see if there was really a spark between them. However, Brooke was disappointed about the weather. "I can't believe it's supposed to rain tonight. I was hoping Lucas would be able to kiss me under the stars."

However, Haley had a different opinion. "I love the rain." The conversation was interrupted by her cell-phone ringing. She grabbed her phone from her purse and checked the caller ID. She frowned. Her friends looked at her curiously. "California is trying to call me. Daunte doesn't know when to quit." She quickly blocked the number before she continued to prepare for her night out with her friends.

Brooke was disappointed she wasn't able to convince Haley to put any make-up on. "I refuse to put any make-up on. I just know I'll end up looking like a clown and I hate clowns." She shuddered just at the thought of the people with the painted smiles. "If it will make you happy, I'll wear some lipstick." Brooke wanted to give her advice on her hair, but Haley stopped her. "Brooke, you came over to help me find an outfit, not give advice on wearing make-up or my hair."

"I just want to make sure you look your best," Brooke defended. "After all, this is your first date with Nathan."

Haley gave her a gentle smile. "I appreciate your help, but I don't need to change who I am for him."

Brooke looked at her impressed. "Wise words. I wish I could have figured that out sooner. I could have been married to Lucas by now, but I had a hard time opening my heart after being emotionally abused by my parents for so long. They are so not invited to the wedding. In fact, we're probably not going to have a big wedding. It'll just be close family and friends."

Haley glanced at where Peyton had been standing, but she had disappeared from the bedroom. She couldn't help but be worried about her. Even though they had returned back to North Carolina, Peyton still couldn't settle down. She was still unhappy and Haley was worried about her. She hoped by Lucas and Brooke accepting her in their circle of friends, she would be able to feel like she belonged here. Haley didn't want either of them move back to California.

As the time grew closer to when the Scott brothers were picking them up, Haley grew more and more apprehensive. She wanted this night to go well. It took her a while to admit she truly had feelings for Nathan. Yet, she was afraid of taking that next step. She didn't want either of them to get hurt. What if this ruined their friendship? So many questions and fear began to make her believe this wasn't such a good idea.

Before she could even change her mind, she heard familiar voices from across the hall, signaling the Scott brothers had arrived. Haley quickly finished getting ready and she joined her friends in the front hall. To her surprise, both Jake and Lucas were there, but Nathan was absent.

"Nathan is running a little late so he is going to meet us at the restaurant," Lucas told Haley. Haley was a little disappointed Nathan wasn't there, but it gave her a little more time to prepare herself. "Are you all ready? We should get going. We don't want to miss our reservation." Everyone followed him out to the parking lot. "I hope you don't mind, but you girls will have to squeeze in the back. We only brought one vehicle."

"Why don't Brooke sit up front with you? I'll sit in the back with Peyton and Haley," Jake suggested. Nobody objected and they were on their way. It was beginning to sprinkle and Brooke couldn't help but be disappointed the weather was right.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Nathan was already waiting for them. Haley took a deep breath as she followed the gang over to Nathan. There were greetings as Nathan gave her a warm smile. "Haley, you look beautiful," he complimented. Haley blushed. "May I escort you to your seat?" he asked and she smiled at him. They followed the others through the restaurant and to their table. He pulled out her chair for her and she thanked him.

Both Haley and Nathan were able to relax and enjoy themselves. They both felt like the pressure was off them to find conversation since they were with their friends. Even Peyton seemed to be enjoying herself. Haley thought she and Jake were really hitting it off. She was glad to see her friend was finally having fun.

After a delicious dinner and dessert, Brooke made the excuse that she and Lucas should get going since they had to drive back to Tree Hill. Haley had a feeling they wanted to be alone since they encouraged Jake to go with Nathan to take her and Peyton home before driving back to Tree Hill. Jake had no problem with that.

By the time they were ready to head back to Nathan's car, it was pouring. When they arrived at the apartment, Peyton offered them to come in for some coffee. As Nathan and Jake accepted the offer, Haley realized her wrist felt bare. She let out a groan. "Oh no. My bracelet came off. I'm going to go and check the car."

"Are you kidding? It's really raining out there," Jake told her. "I don't think it's safe."

"I'll go with her," Nathan offered, knowing how important the bracelet was to her. He followed her into the hallway. It wasn't until they reached the front entrance that they saw how hard the rain was falling. "Are you sure you want to go out there?"

"Yeah, I don't mind the rain," Haley replied. "It may sound crazy, but I think it's romantic."

Nathan gave her a smile. "I don't think it's crazy. I can see how you can enjoy the rain. I do too."

Haley turned to him. "Really? I didn't know that." She glanced outside at the pouring rain before she turned back to Nathan. "Have you ever played in the rain?" she asked. Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Your parents probably didn't want you to get dirty," she taunted.

Nathan tried not to laugh. "Are you kidding? My dad made me run in the rain. That's not why I'm surprised. You like the rain when you're scared to go into the pool?"

Haley was quiet for a moment. "I know I can't drown in the rain."

Nathan held out his arms for an embrace. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Haley gave him a comforting smile. "Ok, you have to quit apologizing for asking questions about my past. I've been keeping these secrets in for so long that it feels good to tell someone. And I'm glad it's you." Nathan let out a relieved sigh.

Haley had him release her and she crossed her arms. "You never played in the rain though, have you?" she asked. Nathan shook his head. "You're missing out on a lot of fun. I used to love getting my boots on and jumping in puddles. I remember my mom being so mad at me because I got my clothes all wet. She was afraid I was going to catch a cold." She shook her head. "My dad didn't care. He knew I was just being a kid. And he knew I should enjoy it while it lasted." There was a short pause. "It certainly didn't last very long. Everything stopped being fun when the wicked stepmother came along."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. My dad wasn't all about fun either," Nathan replied. He thought for a moment. "How would you like to be a kid again?" he asked. Haley frowned. He took her hand and beckoned her to come outside with him. "Come on. Let's go out in the rain. Show me what it's like to have fun in the rain."

There was hesitation from Haley before she let go of his hand. "Race you to the car," she told him before she moved towards the door. Nathan was right behind her. She ran through the parking lot and Nathan was right at her heels. The rain pour down and they quickly became wet. Haley made a detour towards the grass across from the apartment building. Nathan looked at her questionably. "You said you wanted to know what it's like to have fun in the rain."

Nathan smiled and he ran into the grass with her. Haley stopped for a moment to feel the raindrops falling on her. Nathan watched her fondly. She encouraged him to dance with her. Nathan felt a little foolish, but he couldn't deny he was having fun. He laughed as Haley frolicked a little. She slipped in his arms and they stared into each other's eyes. It seemed like their spark was beginning to light. They went in closer to each other. Before they knew it, their lips touched. They pulled back for a moment when they realized what they had done. Nathan wanted to apologize, but Haley just shook her head. It was time to open her heart to love. She leaned in again and Nathan followed her lead. The simple kiss became a deep passionate one. This was the moment they had both been waiting for and they weren't going to waste it.

They were loving it so much that they had almost forgotten why they had come outside in the first place. After a few minutes, they went back to their investigation and they were able to find the bracelet. By then, the rain had slowed down and Haley was getting a chill. Nathan brought her inside and they knew they would probably get colds. Neither of them cared because it was so worth getting their first rain kiss. Not to mention Nathan asking Haley on a real date and she happily accepted.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

As Haley and Nathan were settling in their new relationship as a couple, Haley received word that Millie and Mouth had found a place in Wilmington, not too far from Haley's and Peyton's apartment. As soon as they arrived in Wilmington and Haley introduced them to everyone, they were welcomed into their group of friends almost instantly. Millie really got along with Brooke and Mouth and Millie began to enjoy North Carolina.

Once Millie arrived, Brooke knew exactly who she wanted to have as her maid of honor and bridesmaids. She declared Haley as her maid of honor and Peyton and Millie as her bridesmaids. Haley was surprised, but honored to be chosen. She happily agreed. Millie had the same reaction. However, Peyton was hesitant until Haley reminded her that Brooke was trying to be her friend and she should embrace it. Peyton then agreed to be Brooke's bridesmaid.

Haley was busy working when she heard the bell above the door, signaling another customer had entered the café. She turned around and she was surprised to see it was Dan. However, she put on a smile. "Welcome to Karen's Café. What can I get you?"

"You may be fooling everyone else, but I'm not falling for your act," Dan said. Haley looked at him. "Daunte Jones."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't know what you heard about me, but that's in the past. And I would like it to stay there. I came here to start over and try to find myself again. And reconcile with my family. You should be thinking of doing that with Nathan instead of trying to intimidate me. Now what can I get you?"

"You can tell me the truth so I don't have to tell the police about you," Dan said. "Daunte Jones was murdered a few weeks ago, right around the time you were planning to leave Los Angeles." Haley's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe her ears. "Do you know anything about that?" he said, lowering his voice.

Haley glared at him. She wanted to throw him out right there and then. She kept her cool. "I think you should leave."

"Actually, I still own the place so I can stay as long as I want," Dan reminded her. "Now I would like that cup of coffee please."

To Haley's relief, she heard Karen's voice. "I'll take care of him. You can go and take a break now."

Haley didn't even question why Karen was giving her a break in the middle of shift. She was relieved to get out of there, away from Dan. She thanked Karen and took her apron off. She grabbed her purse from her secret hiding place and said her goodbyes. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. She had to find out if the news about Daunte was true.

Once she was in the car, she pulled out her cellphone and called Peyton. To her disappointment, there was no answer. Haley left a message, telling her to meet her back at the apartment. She knew Peyton still had connections back in Los Angeles. If anyone knew about Daunte's murder, it was Peyton.

When Haley arrived at her apartment building, she noticed Peyton's vehicle was in the parking lot. She frowned. If Peyton was there, she would have answered her phone. It wasn't like her not to pick up the phone. However, there could have been plenty of reasons why she didn't pick up her phone. Haley decided not to read much into it. She turned off the car and grabbed her purse from the floor of the backseat.

"Peyton, are you here?" Haley called. She was relieved when she heard a response from the kitchen. Haley gasped in surprise as soon as she saw Peyton putting ice on her eye. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," Peyton dismissed as Haley approached her to check out her eye. She tried not to make a face, but it was obvious it was black and blue. "What are you doing home? I thought you were working."

Haley wasn't going to let it go by this time. "Nothing? The last time you ended up with a black eye was when you got into a fight with Nikki." Peyton didn't answer as she went into the den. Haley knew something was up. She was right behind her. "Nikki's here?" There was still silence from her friend. "Why the hell is Nikki here in North Carolina? Does this have anything to do with Daunte's murder?"

Peyton's eyes went wide as much as she could open her eyes. "Daunte's murder? He's dead?"

"You had no idea?" Haley asked as Peyton collapsed on the sofa. She shook her head as Haley cursed under her breath. She had hoped Dan was bluffing. "What were you and Nikki fighting about this time? Because I know you wouldn't be fighting with Nikki without a good reason."

Peyton let out a heavy sigh. It was time to start being honest with Haley. "I think I know why Daunte was murdered. Our boss was pissed off that he lost you as an employee."

Haley looked at her confused. "What are you talking about? Daunte was our boss."

Peyton shook her head. "No, he wasn't. He was in charge of the club and the diner, but he wasn't the boss. There was someone above him." She corrected herself. "There's the boss and his wife. They are both in charge. And they are the one who told me not only to try and get you to return to Los Angeles, but to keep tabs on the Scott family. When they found out I wasn't doing my job, Nikki was sent to remind me about where my loyalties should lie."

Haley couldn't believe her ears. "Why would they care about me?"

"Because you helped make the diner thrive," Peyton reminded her. "Knowing the diner was doing great meant money for the real boss. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I didn't want to ruin your happiness. You were my friend. I couldn't force you to go back to Los Angeles when you were so miserable there."

"What about Nathan? Why would they care about his family?" Haley asked.

"The Scott family are their enemies. They hate the Scott family. After my breakup with Lucas, I didn't really care about Lucas and Brooke. I knew they would end up together, but the boss wanted to be given updates anyway. And it was easy to know what Nathan was doing, considering he was hanging out at the diner all the time."

Haley took a breath. The news was overwhelming and she had to take it all in. The whole drama with Daunte wasn't over. It wasn't even close to being over. One question was on her mind. "How much do they know about me? Do they know about David and Lydia?" she asked. "I don't want David to get mixed up in this again."

Peyton wished she could lie to her. The truth kept coming out of her mouth. "Considering they were aware you were working for Daunte, I'm sure they do. I wasn't the only one keeping tabs for them. They have eyes and ears everywhere including Tree Hill."

Haley looked at her. "Then tell me who these spies are and I'll tell them exactly what I told Daunte: I'm not their employee. Or better yet, give me the phone number and I'll call the big bad boss myself."

"I don't know who the spies are," Peyton told her. She wanted to make sure Haley understood what she was going to be walking into. "But I will tell you that our real boss is dangerous. And if the boss finds out that I told you the truth, there will be no reason to try and get you back to Los Angeles. They will do it for me. And then they will force you to stay and work for them in order to protect your family. That includes Nathan. Then you'll be right back where you started."

Haley let out a heavy sigh. "Then what are we supposed to do? Because we can't tell Nathan or his family."

"I know," Peyton agreed. "Look, I'll take care of it. You just go on being happy with Nathan. You deserve it."

Haley shook her head this time. She wasn't going to let her friend deal with this alone. "No, we're in this together now. We just need a plan to get these people off our backs." There was a short pause. "Not to mention making sure they don't try to pin this murder on us." Peyton didn't respond as Haley heard her phone. She checked her text messages. "It's Nathan. He knows about my run in with Dan and he wants to make sure I'm okay."

"Go be with him. I'll be fine," Peyton promised her. "Just tell Karen I won't make it in for my shift. I don't want to scare the customers with this black eye. I don't think anyone will believe my excuse for running into a door."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Haley asked. She really didn't want to leave Peyton by herself. However, Peyton gave her a comforting smile. Haley got up from the sofa. "Please call me you need anything or if Nikki comes back. I'll get Jake to check on you later."

Peyton looked at her horrified. "No, I don't want him to see me like this."

"Alright. I won't say anything. Just lay low and rest. Lock the doors and don't answer the door unless you know who it is," Haley advised. Peyton just nodded. "I'll be back once my shift is over." However, Haley still didn't move.

Peyton looked at her pleadingly. "Haley, please go," she begged. "I promise I will call you if I need you."

Haley finally relented and they exchanged goodbyes before she left the apartment. She waited until she was in the car to respond to Nathan. By then, Nathan had texted her and asked if she could meet him at their usual table along the Riverwalk. She told him she was on her way.

When she arrived at the Riverwalk, she saw Nathan already there, waiting for her. As she approached him, he got up from his seat and embraced her in a tight hug. He didn't even let her say anything before he spoke. "I don't know what my dad said to you, but my mom made sure he wasn't going to bother you again while you are at work."

Haley managed to get her voice out. "Daunte's dead." Nathan pulled her away for a moment. He looked at her confused. She knew it was safe to tell him about Daunte's murder. "Dan told me Daunte was murdered. And it happened to be around the same time that we were moving to Los Angeles. He made it sound like he was accusing me of murdering him."

Nathan swore under his breath. He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I can't believe he would even think that you had something to do with it. He doesn't even know you or what you went through with Daunte. I'm really sorry, Hales. I don't know what his problem is, but I'm not going to let him intimidate you. Don't worry. I know you're not a suspect. Otherwise, the police would have contacted you by now, right?" Nathan asked. Haley nodded, but he could see she was still worried. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried himself. He embraced her in another tight hug. "Let me use my connections and find out what is going on with the investigation. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Haley wished she could believe him, but she was still thinking about what Peyton had told her. Maybe she wasn't going to tell Nathan or his family about this mysterious boss. But she wasn't going to sit back and do nothing either. She had done that before. That girl was gone. No, she was going to make sure she was able to live her life her way.

"I know it will," she replied before they walked down the Riverwalk to find something to eat.


End file.
